6 Ways To Spring Clean Your Life
This weekend Sam and I spent a ridiculous amount of time spring cleaning our house. We cleared out our wardrobes and sorted out drawers and hoovered behind the sofa. We sifted through the random pile of crap that had been gathering on our worktop and descaled the bathroom taps. We changed all the bedding and deep cleaned the fridge and made a visit to the tip with a car full of junk. I can't say it was the most exciting weekend we've ever had, but when I was sat on the sofa on Sunday evening I had the biggest sense of contentment. Everything was in it's right place and everywhere looked so shiny and new. For the first time in weeks I didn't feel stressed or anxious, instead I felt calm and relaxed and happy. I felt like I had created more space, both physically by getting rid of stuff, but mentally too.
And it got me thinking about how other areas of my life could probably benefit from a little bit of a spring clean. If tidying my house could make me feel more in control, then applying the same logic elesewhere could get me on track for world domination, right?!
So I put this list together and I've blocked out some time this week to work my way through it. And I thought I'd share it with you guys too, because I'm kind like that.
Here are 6 ways to spring clean your life...
1) Clear your inbox
Okay, we're starting with a hard one here, but one that will surely free up lots of much needed headspace - sort your inbox out. Set aside a couple of hours, make yourself a brew and just crack on. Reply to those emails you've been meaning to do for weeks, get a bit of filing done, make a note of anything that you need to follow up on.
And then get to work on unsubscribing from all those newsletters and junk emails you seem to have found yourself on (Unroll.Me is great for this!) - the last time you spend deleting crap from your inbox = more time for fun stuff!
2) Get on top of life admin
We all have boring life admin that we have to get on with - things like paying bills and going to the post office and making dentist appointments. Sadly it's just part and parcel of being an adult and the longer you put doing these things off for, the more they'll play and your mind and make you feel like a terrible human.
Make a list of them, set aside some time to get everything on said list done and then treat yourself to a really nice coffee. I promise you'll feel 100% better for it.
3) Sneak some healthy food in
Now I'm not gonna come here and start preaching about eating clean or calorie counting or anything daft like that, because you know, well, pizzas and burgers exist and I really bloody like them. But I will say that sneaking a little bit of extra healthy food always makes me feel a bit more energetic and ready to take on the day.
Maybe enjoy a green juice alongside your breakfast bagel or add a side of salad to that yummy bowl of spag bol - nothing drastic, just a bit more of the good stuff to help you feel more like superwoman and less like a bloated slug.
4) Get stuff in the diary
I have a confession to make - I'm great at making and agreeing to plans but I'm really, really bad at actually putting them in the diary. Then the week rolls around and I totally forget about said plans until someone texts or emails to ask what time I'll be arriving and then I end up in a huge ball of stress trying to squeeze everything in. My bad.
In an attempt to try and combat this, I've been sitting down with my diary (a paper one, because this girl just loves stationery) once a week and making sure that any events or trips or deadlines are all written down. Being able to see it all laid out gives me a bit more clarity about what needs to get done and what time I have to play with.
5) Sort your finances out
Okay, so this is a bit of a boring one, but getting a bit of a better grip on your finances might mean that you can free up a bit of extra cash for a summer holiday, so it's worth it. Start of by making a basic budget spreadsheet - nothing fancy, just a list of your income and outgoings. Then take a little look at where you can start to make some cuts.
Maybe you'll realise that you're spending way too much money on buying lunches and will decide to make them instead. Maybe you'll realise that Zara are zapping far too much of your cash and will vow to steer clear for a couple of months. Or maybe, if you're feeling really inspired, you'll spend a bit of time on Money Saving Expert or something working out how to get yourself some bumper deals.
6) Reassess what makes you happy
I always think that spring is a great time to reassess your life and have a think about any changes you might like to make - let's face it, we're all too grumpy and hungry in January to think rationally. Start by making a list of all the things that make you happy - like so happy that your face aches from smiling too much when you do them. Then make a list of all the things that you do on a daily basis. This should help you realise what you need to be doing more of and what you really need to cut out of your life.
Sure, we can't all spend our days skipping from one happy task to the next, because bills. But this task should highlight some changes that you can make to make life more joyful. It could be big things like realising it's time to start looking for a new job. Or it could be little things, like quitting the gym that makes you miserable and going for nice long walks with a podcast instead. Either way, reassessing what makes you happy will have you skipping into spring.
Are you planning on spring cleaning your life? Let me know if you do any of these!