“Spring Cleaning” – For more than just your closet by Haley Axton

Spring-cleaning and I have a love hate relationship. Although I like to believe that I am a pretty clean and organized person, as the months go on, dust, clothes, and even stress start to accumulate, and I just cant help it. Since I was young, I have always believed in a good spring-cleaning, even though it’s difficult to motivate myself to do it. After spending the winter curled up trying to stay warm, spring is the perfect time to energize and freshen up! As I have gotten older, I have realized that spring-cleaning shouldn’t just be for our physical space, but for our minds and bodies as well.

Here are 6 ways to get out of the winter funk by spring-cleaning your space, body, and mind:

Space

1. Clean Out your Closet: Ask yourself: “Does this fit”, “Is it in style”, “ Do I like it anymore?” This can be hard when there are overwhelming thoughts of “what if I need that some day”, “one day that will fit me again” “how can I throw out the dress I wore to my cousins wedding”, etc. Keeping a top just because you wore it on your first date with an ex, or because you are hoping to fit back into a dress from high school is simply adding to the mental and spatial clutter. Clutter can make it hard to relax, so keep what makes you feel good about you and purge what doesn’t!

2. Deep Clean your Home: Cleaning your home can help avoid stress, allergies, and germs. We are most productive when we feel our best!

Body

3. Get Out and Get Active:  As the weather warms up, and the winter blues melt away, get outside and go for a walk! Yoga in the park, gardening, or a run with a friend are just a few ways to be active in the warm weather. 

4. Fresh Spring Diet: Artichokes, Avocados, Cauliflower, Grapefruit, Beets, and Parsley, are just a few of the fresh foods that are in season in March! Treat your body to some delicious fresh food to kick off spring-cleaning. You can find tons of recipes online on sites such as Food Network and even Buzzfeed.

– https://www.buzzfeed.com/marietelling/31-delicious-things-to-cook-in-march?utm_term=.nma4kOd9Md#.wfL35Jkolk

– http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/photos/recipe-of-the-day-what-to-cook-in-march

5. Evaluate your habits: Now that we are a few months in from the beginning of the year, this could be a great time to re-evaluate your new years resolutions. Are you still holding to them? Are they having the effect you were looking for? Its important to recognize if your habits are helpful, or just something you are comfortable doing because it has become a routine.

6. Re-Examine your relationships: Just as clutter creates imbalance in your home, poor relationships create imbalance in your life. Help clean out chaos in your life by re examining the relationship that you are in.  “Am I happy in this relationship?” “Is this friendship reciprocal?” “Are there ways that this relationship could be stronger?” Spring is a great time to think about and work on the relationships you are in.