It’s that time of year when the seemingly natural urge to spring clean starts to develop. In times gone by, spring cleaning meant deep cleaning your home to rid it from the stale and stagnant detritus of winter to improve our environment. Now we live in homes that don’t require such a rigorous clean, but we can still use these cleansing urges to improve our lives. Here are 5 ways to improve your sense of wellbeing this spring.
1. Clothes
With spring comes the potential for warmer weather, and that means waving goodbye to the over-sized sweaters and warm winter coats. You need firm boundaries to adhere to when attempting to spring clean your wardrobe, otherwise you are likely to end up keeping the clothes that you really ought not to. Make three piles: keep, donate and bin. If you can recruit a friend to help you, even better; as long as your relationship will survive them saying that favoured garments don’t suit you after all.
2. Friends
While you may have lots of friends, the truth is that there are some that do not positively impact on your life. It can be a painful realisation that an old friendship has come to a natural end, but it is life. You do not have to let them know that you have decided not to pursue their friendship, but rather just be aware of how precious time is, and how you are better investing it in relationships that help you grow and promote the best version of you.
3. Finances
Review your personal finances. You need to spend time to identify where your money is going, and where you can make changes to ensure that you have more. Use online price comparison websites to get the best tariff for your utilities and be prepared to shop around to get the best price for products that you buy to make savings. You may have this habit already for one-off purchases or big-ticket items but apply your savviness to the everyday items. You can save money on most items; find discount toiletries, a cheaper MOT for your car, or even cheaper rail tickets.
4. Diet
Spring brings with it a host of new seasonal fruit and vegetables, and as such, it is the perfect time of year to clean up your diet. Take advantage of the seasonal produce that is available in local farm shops to get the maximum nutritional benefit of what spring offers – asparagus, new potatoes, spinach, greens and peas. Update your diet to include healthy snacks and swap fizzy drinks for water. Any changes you make to your diet should not make you feel deprived but should merely be swapped for healthier alternatives – this will ensure that your dietary aims are realistic and achievable.
5. Exercise
With the longer days and warmer temperatures, spring is a great time of year to get physical. Rather than dedicating to time in the gym, get outside and feel the full benefit of the great outdoors. After months of winter hibernation, you will be reinvigorated by spending time in a natural environment. Whether you enjoy urban parks or prefer somewhere a bit more off the beaten track, whether you run or prefer to walk, you will be energised by increasing your outdoor exercise.
