Spring is the perfect time of year to not only clean out the closets of your home, but also to tidy up and reorganize all the other areas of your life. Clutter and toxicity in our lives comes in many different forms, including old habits and behaviours, outdated relationships and overall stagnancy that can prevent growth and change. Sometimes this lifestyle clutter can be just as messy, if not messier, than an overstocked basement.
So use the regenerative power of this new season to clear out and simplify your lifestyle with these easy, breezy tips.
Change your routine
Are you always in some sort of a mad rush in the morning that leaves you drained and irritated before you even show up at work? Instead, consider setting your alarm clock a few minutes earlier and devote the first minutes of your morning to a daily meditation practice. Hundreds of studies have proven that meditation is an effective weapon for combatting anxiety and depression. Having trouble sustaining stamina to keep up with your after-work exercise program? Maybe exercising in the morning is the better option for you. Simple tweaks in our regular routines can go a long way to feeling motivated and refreshed.
Dust off a forgotten talent
Do you still yearn for the pliés and pirouettes you did in ballet class as a kid? Did you enjoy swimming as a teen but have yet to see the inside of a pool in, well, forever? Children are often rushing from one new activity to another, while adults become consumed with chores and obligations. There’s nothing more liberating than feeling like a kid again, so dust off those old ballet shoes and join a dance class. Starting up an activity you used to enjoy can inject a much-needed dose of fun and playfulness into your life.
Clear your schedule
We live in a “busy” society. People often gripe that they’re just “too busy” to meet up with friends or pursue new hobbies and interests. But the truth is, more often than not, we are wasting precious hours on things that don’t truly matter to us and then complain that we can’t fit in the things that do. Rather than miss out on a chance to catch up with an old friend, take a look at your current schedule and determine how you spend your time. Once you have written it down, you can then proceed on how to clear out the stuff that no longer serves you (like maybe watching one hour of TV after work instead of two) and how to make room for new things in your life while still maintaining your priorities.
Clean out relationships
Toxic relationships can be debilitating and harmful to our sense of self-worth. They can affect us both emotionally and physically, zapping our zest for life, and ultimately chipping away at our self-esteem. Look at the relationships that leave you drained and unhappy, and then be honest with yourself: are these people stopping you from leading your best life? You can’t change other people, but you can consciously choose the type of people you want to surround yourself with. While ending relationships with toxic friends and family is probably the hardest area to spring clean, it is also the most important area for growth.
Brighten your attitude
The winter blues still weighing you down? When we are so accustomed to complaining and worrying, we often have trouble seeing the beauty and joy that already surrounds us. Consider keeping a gratitude journal and, each night before bed, write down five things that you are grateful for each day. Choose to seek out what is going right with your life instead of what is going wrong. Over time, your sunny attitude will match the sunny skies outside, ushering in more positive people and experiences into your life.
With these tips, you can clean out the old and unnecessary parts of your life and find the hidden joys and possibilities that have been hiding out like the dust bunnies in your attic.