When I hear “Spring cleaning”, I think of windows open, sweeping the floors, and throwing out old junk from my closet. While cleaning out your house is a great way to clear some physical space, there are other, often overlooked areas of our lives that can benefit from some Spring cleaning too.
Relationships
Take a good look at the people you surround yourself with. There’s a common saying that we are a combination of the 5 people that we spend the most time with, and I absolutely agree. Those we are around the most can have a huge impact on us. If you’re trying to eat healthy and your best friend is a junk food junkie, that can certainly make it harder to stick to your goals. How about the energy vampires (the people who suck the light and positivity out of every situation)?! We have all had a few of those in our lives and it can start to take a toll if someone is continuously exhausting and draining your energy.
While we all hold onto relationships for different reasons, and can’t always choose who we are around the most, i.e. coworkers, you CAN decide how much interaction you have with them and how much influence you allow them over who you are and how you feel. I encourage you to really look at who you keep close and how they impact you, both directly and indirectly. It’s important to surround yourself with people who are supportive and truly care about you. If you find that you have some relationships that you have outgrown or are not helping you be your best self, then now is a great time to finally break up with, or set some boundaries around, their toxic vibes to keep them from bringing you down.
Calendar
As the weather gets nicer (it will soon, I promise), our calendars can get more and more packed. Whether it’s work, kids running you around, or your own tasks filling up your days, a cluttered calendar can leave you overwhelmed and tired. As we transition to spring, now is the perfect time to clear out a little bit of space in your datebook each day. Look at what is truly important and don’t be afraid to say no to things that don’t fall in line with your goals.
While I am absolutely someone who encourages DOING things for yourself as a form of selfcare, it’s also important to recognize our need to NOT-DO. Unplug from technology and get away from social media, find some time to just BE during your day. Detach from the steady stream of demands, and perceived demands, that come from being so connected. Then if you end up “doing” you will have already created the space to listen to what you truly need as opposed to just cramming in and checking off another thing on your to-do list.
Headspace
Making friends with the little voice inside your head can be hard. She always has something to say and a lot of times it’s not very nice!! As a recovering perfectionist and someone who has always been extremely self-critical, I have accepted that this is a lifelong process that I will work at every day (happy to do so though!). How we talk to ourselves can influence our mood, self-esteem, motivation and outlook on the world. But I strongly believe from firsthand experience, that we can change our thoughts to change ourselves.
Check-in with yourself. What is the tone of your self-talk? Are you coming into spring with a negative spin on life (I’ve been eating terribly lately, I’m such a failure)? Can you turn the thoughts to a more positive framing (I’m so excited to eat all the fresh produce spring has to offer, I feel amazing when I’m eating more veggies!)? Pause a moment and just listen. And then soften and reframe. There’s a quote that I love which says “You will never speak to anyone more than you speak to yourself in your head. Be kind to yourself.” That sums this up perfectly. Create a headspace that will make you smile, feel empowered, and feel loved. Again, it’s simple, but not easy, and it can be a lifelong practice, but when you let yourself grow and shine you’ll see that it’s SO worth it.