Decluttering Your Mind and Space
Ever wonder why it’s so hard to get motivated with New Year's resolutions in January, and why come spring you feel that gust of motivation to deep clean your whole house, try a bunch of new activities, or start crushing your goals?
Well, that might have something to do with the calendar not aligning with nature in terms of when the ‘new year’ begins. January is still in the middle of Winter, which is a rest cycle within the natural world. Whereas, come spring, that is the time of rebirth. That is the time the natural world starts to come alive again and the new cycle begins.
So– in honour of the true ‘New Year’ let’s talk Spring cleaning and not just the house. It’s time to overhaul your life to align with the fresh energies of this cycle.
Give Your Space a Deep Clean
Spring cleaning is an important ritual, not just from a cleanliness perspective, but from the feeling of a fresh start and a reset. Dust off the cobwebs, pull out the sofa, and wash down the walls. Take this opportunity to tackle all of those little tasks that go missed during your regular clean ups. It’s also a great time to clean off the windows to allow for better light to come in as the sun returns. Open up the doors and windows, burn some sage, and clean out the air in your space as well. I promise you will feel refreshed as much as your space will! It’s amazing how much we are emotionally, mentally, and spiritually impacted by our environment.
Out With the Old
As your deep cleaning, this is a great time to Marie- Kondo your space as well. Have a sort through your clothes and possessions and toss anything that is broken or worn out. Take inventory of what you LOVE or is useful, and what would be better served donated to someone in need. This gives you a chance to organise what you keep in a more streamline, convenient, or aesthetically pleasing way as well. Lift the weight of a hundred old socks missing a mate off your shoulders!
Do a Digital Declutter
Take the time to go through your devices, or your cloud storage and clean up anything that is old or no longer necessary. Those 112 tabs open on your iphone? Yeah those are drawing on your mental energy as well! Shut down, reset, purge, and clarify what’s important to you. Bonus is you’ll open up plenty of storage to capture the memories in the seasons to come!
Take a Life Inventory
This is a prime time to take stock of what is working, and what isn’t, within your life. Examine your habits, your routines, your hobbies, work, relationships, commitments, etc. and feel into what is bringing you fullness, authenticity, and expansion. It might be the time to let go or create a change within areas that are not working well, and the burst of new Spring energy is the perfect time to do so. Simplify wherever you can. Practice forgiveness and let go of any grudges or resentments you may be holding onto, and forgive yourself and others for past mistakes. These things can weigh heavier on us than we know. What have you always wanted to do but never seem to have time for? Where can you make that a priority?
Clean Up Your Health Maintenance
How are your eating habits? Your exercise routines? How are you sleeping? Are you well hydrated? Are your supplements supporting you? It’s a great time to have a check in with yourself and/or with your healthcare provider to see how things are going and what might need to be adjusted. Spring is likely to give you that heightened energy to supercharge your commitment, your capacity, as well as the desire to incorporate more fresh foods into your diet. Take advantage of this momentum!
Connect with the Natural Cycles
Getting outside and connecting with nature is a fantastic way to realign our bodies to the natural cycles. We are surrounded by so many artificial stimulations in our modern world, artificial light, heat, schedules, etc. that sometimes we just get out of sync. Spend time outside, put your feet on the earth, watch the sunrise or the sunset, notice the new buds growing, touch the ocean. Try to spend a few minutes each day connecting with nature. Research shows that this has a profound impact on mental health and stress levels.
An Intentional Spring Equinox Ritual
March 19th is the Spring Equinox, and as it marks the beginning of this season, it can be a great time to spend creating a little ‘New Year’ ritual for yourself.
Some ideas could be:
- Planting seeds to prepare for the fall harvest
- Having a celebration feast to commemorate the new cycle beginning
- Noting everything that you are grateful for from the past cycle
- Setting goals and intentions for this cycle to bloom through the year
Happy Spring!
