Spring Cleaning: Physical and Mental Decluttering

Get ready for Spring!

With the weather warming up, the birds are chirping, and the trees are coming more vibrant,
this means spring is in the air! This pushes us to begin for ‘spring cleaning’, a refresh and
declutter of our homes. This phrase instils a sense of a full reset; however, this doesn’t only
have to be for your home, it can also be for the body and mind. In many traditions seasonal
shifts are a great time to get in tune with your mental and physical health and overcome any
disruptions. Here are 5 simple tips to focus on for your mental and physical spring cleaning:

1. Schedule space

Set aside some time in an afternoon or a weekend to just focus on yourself.
Going to a local café, or even for a short walk is a great way to have some
personal relaxation and time to recharge. Think about goals and ideas for the
future and how you can achieve them.

2. Simplify
With work, school, and a busy personal life many people can build up stress
when they try to take on too much at a time. As the seasons are shifting from a
dark and heavy winter into a slight and bright spring, take this time to simplify
wherever you can. This can look like breaking large tasks into smaller
manageable tasks or creating a list of chores to do for the weekend.

3. Spark joy
As we all know Marie Kondo’s phrase ‘If it doesn’t spark joy, it’s time to let it go’.
Not only can this relate to items in your home, car, or backpack, but this can also
connect to things in your everyday life. You want to ask yourself ‘Does this spark
joy?’ to every aspect of your life.

4. Release
With our spring cleaning and tidying up our space, we also need to remember
this also goes for our mind and body. Letting go and releasing unwanted bad
energy is a good thing. Refreshing your mental and emotional well-being is a
must and should be done often. You can ask yourself – what is holding me back,
how am I feeling mentally and emotional daily, or if you are at a crossroads think
about what your friend or parent would say to you in that situation.

5. Fresh and Fun

Try getting a plant or some flowers to signify the start of spring and to remind
you of the beauty, growth, and energy that the warm weather brings. Question
on how you could do the same to enhance your mental and emotional health.

Our bodies are programmed for repetition, and to change our behaviour we need to find ways
to create a reminder for ourselves that this new and fresh feeling is good and uplifting. Putting
reminders around your home or on your phone, or even a friend to reach out and check how
you are doing through seasonal changes is a positive thing for your mental, physical, and
emotional health.

Some refreshing, relaxing, and recharging activities for the warmer weather:
 Yoga
 Hiking
 City walk
 Painting
 Journaling
 Try taking up a new outdoor sport
 Joining a recreation league
 Visit a farmer’s market
 Picnic in the park
 Start a garden