Spring Cleaning: 7 Tips to Get Your Life Back on Track
-Brittany Harp
Y’all we made it. Spring is FINALLY here. And if you are anything like me, winter might have kicked your butt. The dark days, cold weather and the never-ending sense of gray might have felt like an emotional beating. The arrival of spring not only means it's time to take in some sun, but it is also time to do some spring cleaning. If you’re like the millions of Americans that watched Marie Kondo all winter but did not tidy up your life, the spring is a great time to start! However, it’s not only time to spring clean around the house, but also in our personal lives. This new season is the perfect time to reassess, rediscover, repair, regrow, and reflect on what you want your life to look like, and to weed out habits that may be dragging you down.
Here are some tricks to help you spring clean your life:
Set New Goals. Create a priority list of short term, mid-term, and long term goals. What do you strive to accomplish in the next 3 months, this year, and in the next 5 years? Do your current habits support these goals? If not, create a game plan to make some changes!
Organize Your Home. Spend a weekend going through your home. Channel Marie and decide what to keep, what to donate and what to trash. Ask yourself, is the item truly adding value to your life, or is it just taking up space? Usually, if we haven’t thought about or used something in about 3-6 months, we no longer find value in that item.
Assess your relationships. Take time to examine the relationships you have with friends, coworkers, family, and your significant other. Are you feeling connected and fulfilled by the relationships you’re in, or are you constantly feeling drained and empty? If it's the latter, spend time assessing if the relationship is worth your energy right now, or if some time away could be good for you. In some cases, it might be best to let the relationship go.
Organize your finances. Set aside an evening to thoroughly inventory your financial status. We often feel more in control of other aspects of our lives when we feel in control of our finances. Do you know where your money goes? Are you actually spending money on things that matter to you? When was the last time you looked at your finances? Take a moment to reassess your finances, and use tools like Mint to see where your money is being spent. By knowing where your money goes, you will begin to budget with more intention. This means spending more money for things with purpose and less money for things that don’t bring you joy.
Detox from social media. Try to limit the amount of time you spend on your devices, especially if your social media is bringing you down. Social media accounts tend to be flooded with people’s best presentation of themselves. This constant bombardment can cause us to feel like we are not keeping up with those around us, and leave us feeling empty or inferior. Social media also seems to be full of negative news, which tends to bring down our mood or cause anxiety. By cutting back on your social media time, you will be free to focus more on your life and your happiness, rather than comparing yourself to others.
Do something just for you. This is also known as self-care. Winter can sometimes feel like it has sucked the life out of us. By reinvesting into yourself, you are able to create a more sustainable life of peace. This then gives you the energy and capacity to give back to others. Go enjoy the sun. Read a book. Have an ice cream. Turn off your email for a couple hours. Remind yourself that you're awesome just because you are you!
Go to therapy. If your struggling with life or purpose, therapy can be a great tool to weed out the negative thoughts and feelings. Sometimes winter can beats us up a bit more seriously, requiring more help than a few tips can offer. Therapy is a great way to find non-judgemental support and encouragement for positive changes and healing in your life. The goal is to help you create new habits and coping mechanisms that will allow you to live your best life.