Time passes so fast these days. We can get into habits and in a blink of an eye later we’ve been doing the same things, eating the same foods, wearing the same clothes, sleeping in the same way for years. And while sometimes there is nothing wrong with that, the act of taking the time to look at what you’re habitually doing and making a few changes here and there can be so energising and rejuvenating. What better time to do that than in Spring? Spring marks the start of new life; it’s a chance to shake off winter and hibernation and start something new. Or at least take stock. Here are just some of our favourite ways to start a little fresher come Springtime.
A Spring Clean
It’s a classic because it works. Spring-cleaning is simply tackling a room, cupboard, or whole house and cleaning out what you don’t need, use, want, or have the space for. This does not mean you have to throw it away. Maybe you give it to those close to you who you know would love it or need it. Or you can give it to the community around you. This not only benefits those in need but it also gives you the physical space and the mental space you will struggle to get with a house that’s filled to the brim. We need space to invite in new so we need to let go of the old to do this.
A self evaluation
No we don’t mean at work. We mean an evaluation of whether what you’re currently doing is working for you. How is your sleep? Your energy? Your digestion? Your nutrient intake? Your movement habits? Rate these things on a scale of 1-10: 1 being it’s not going very well at all and 10 being there’s no improvement to be made. If you’re sitting below a 7 or 8 on any of these things you might need to consider shaking things up a little.
If you’re sleep is being rated a 5, what can you do about it? Can you go to bed earlier, can you take magnesium to support sleep, can you reduce screen time? What about your movement habits? Maybe it’s about trying something new or sticking to a routine a little better. Take this time to notice what’s working for you and what’s working against you and be willing to make some changes.
Check out your food situation
Did you know that eating a range of different ingredients helps digestion, energy levels, and your health to stay on track? And did you also know that as a generation we eat way less of a variety of ingredients than times gone by? You may see where we’re going with this. Check your fridge, pantry, freezer, and wherever you keep food. Throw (or give away) anything that you’re not using and definitely throw away things that are out of date. Stale food isn’t good for you either.
Then get serious about using different and varying ingredients. Sometimes the best way to do this is find new recipes that have foods you already love but have new and different ingredients as well. Aim to switch up your vegetables, fruits, grains, proteins, nuts and seeds in a week so you’re not eating the same things every day. Then each week try a new recipe with a new ingredient you either haven’t had before or haven’t used in a long time.
Set intentions based on how you want to feel Our mind is very good at getting into a habitual way of thinking. We look for more of the same and we look for patterns. So if our lives are going in one direction, the mind will look for more of that. So when we take the time to set intentions (a word, a phrase, a feeling we want to bring into our life), our mind now has something new to look for. And when it knows what to look for, it will find it. All of a sudden you’ll find more opportunities and more situations where you can feel exactly how you want to feel. For example if your intention is to find inner strength, anything can become a new opportunity to embrace that. Previously perhaps anything could have been seen as yet another difficult challenge. You see? A change in perspective changes situations.