Spring is finally here! (What a long winter...) It's time to get things cleaned up, organized and straightened out - and I mean YOU, not just your home! Now is an ideal time to take a fresh approach to life in order to improve your health. Here’s the first installment of our spring cleaning series. We’re offering some tips and tricks on how to spruce up your home, your mind, and your exercise plan – all of which will improve your health and happiness.
The most basic form of spring cleaning would be cleaning up your home. This is a great way to feel renewed and refreshed while also burning calories! A clean, organized home can be a great foundation for healthiness.
Start with fresh air. Before you begin, open those windows and invite the spring air in. The fresh, spring air pushes out the staleness of winter, both actually and metaphorically.
Pantry cleanup is a must. Start by taking everything off the shelves – you’ll be surprised what’s lurking in there (leaked containers and hidden food far past its date). Clean up any messes, discard old food if it’s open and everything past it’s date. Before you put everything back, now is a great time to make some choices about what’s actually stocking your shelves. Pasta? Sugary cereal? Processed snacks? Think twice about putting them back.
Instead, buy fresh foods that go in your fridge or on your counter. If you shop the perimeter of the supermarket, you won’t need your pantry as much. So, let’s clean out your fridge to make more room! Tackling one shelf at a time, remove the food, clean the space and toss the old/leaky stuff. When you’re done, you’ll have the space you need (and clean surfaces) for your fresh start.
The same approach can be taken with the rest of the house. While you’re doing the regular scrubbing and mopping, don’t forget to declutter! Less clutter leads to less stress! For every room, make four piles:
Keep the things you really want/need. Make this pile as small as you can.
Sell the things you can live without (if they still have enough value where this is worth your time).
Donate the rest of those things you don’t want. Make this pile as big as you can. This pile helps you, helps someone else and takes very little time to box up and drop it off at a Goodwill or Salvation Army.
Trash the stuff that’s trash. You know which items these are – you just need a little strength to do it.
The newness of spring is finally here. Take advantage of this time to make a clean start! Be sure to check out the next part of our series: Spring Cleaning for Your Mind!