Spring Clean? How to declutter your mind and body.

As we start to enter the Spring months, where the weather warms up a little, the days get longer, the sunshine tries to appear through those stubborn British clouds and our New Year motivation is hanging on by a thread, it’s time for a little refresh.

Most of us are pretty good at getting stuck into a good ol’ house spring clean, getting rid of the things that we no longer need, and finally getting around to sorting out that spice cupboard which definitely has a few that are a good year or two out of date…tell me it’s not just me!? BUT when was the last time you decided to spring clean your mind and body?

You might have never even thought about it.

So, we’re going to change that today.

Spring cleaning your house is one thing, but taking the steps to declutter your mind and body is another thing and if you need a little guidance to get started…Let’s do it together, shall we?

Here are 8 ways to spring-clean your mind and body:

1. Organise your environment

Let’s start small and simple. Our physical environment has a big impact on our mental state. By keeping your living and working spaces organised and clutter-free, you can reduce feelings of stress and overwhelm. That means diving into your wardrobe, removing the things that no longer fit or you never wear, whatever the reason. It means finally sorting out your bathroom drawer (anyone else hoard beauty products?) and starting that skincare regime you’ve always wanted. It also means clearing out AND cleaning your fridge, and god forgive, the freezer because you know that half loaf of bread you decided to keep back in the summer of ‘19 isn’t ever going to get used. Start afresh and make room for the things that make you feel good from the inside out.

2. Decluttering your mind

Did you know that every single day your brain processes about 70,000 thoughts!?

No wonder your brain is on overdrive, 70,000 thoughts is no joke. Especially given 90% of those thoughts were the same as yesterday, and the day before, and that day before that...and because of this, you’ll be putting yourself through decision fatigue every single day!

Decision fatigue is the difficulty to make a good decision because of the number of decisions you need to make. The more decisions you have to make, the more fatigue you develop and the more difficult it can become to make that decision. Resulting in overwhelm, procrastination etc.

Instead, simplify your decision-making by approaching your days with a mindful outlook; apply the suggestions in #1, reduce the decisions you need to make where you can by pre-preparing; decide what you’re wearing the night before, sort breakfast so it’s ready for you, prioritise what needs doing the following day so you’re ready to hit the ground running the next morning. Create a ‘things to focus on’ list that has the non-negotiables for the day and then a ‘to remember’ list which has things that don’t need doing that day, but you want them ‘logged’ somewhere; it then frees up space in your mind. Get everything out of your head and on paper, your phone, a note on your laptop. Learn to prioritise.

3. Get re-inspired

If you’re feeling a little stuck, it’s time to get re-inspired. A vision board is a great way of re-igniting your passion and motivation for life or the specific goals you have. Pick an evening one day this week and make a night out of it; cook yourself dinner, maybe grab a glass of rosé and get yourself excited about the life you’re looking to live. Scroll Pinterest, save pins, take screenshots, find magazine cut-outs, however, you want to do it, bring what’s in your imagination to life. Create a new phone background, print the pictures, and put them on your vision board; create something that inspires you and makes you smile when you look at it. It’s time to let go of the stagnant energy and bring to life a new lease of inspiration.

4. Realign your diet

The connection between your gut and your brain is well known; with your gut being called, the second brain. Research has been delving into the importance of gut microbiota in influencing your mood, your emotions and how you go about your day for a long time now. It’s time to check in with how you feel after eating certain foods or why you crave particular foods at certain times. Educate yourself about your cycle if you still have one and become aware of what phase you’re in and how that might be impacting your food choices, or how your body is feeling. As women, we are complex creatures! If coffee is giving you crazy anxiety, switch it up for decaf or look at alternatives (I know, I know…I can’t believe I’m even writing that as the coffee lover I am), introduce more greens, focus on high protein, and drink more water. If that means investing in a new blender or a fancy ‘emotional support water bottle’, do it. The basics work. Prioritise them.

5. Unsubscribe

Yes, all those shitty emails piling up in your inbox or those social media influencers making you feel less than…it’s time to unsubscribe. You likely never read their emails, watch their stories, or take any values from them anyway. Remove the guilt and gift your mind and soul things and people that light you up, not bring you down. Exercise your boundaries here when it comes to choosing people and things to unsubscribe from. Review your relationships, which serve you, which don’t; unsubscribe as needed. You don’t need to interact with or keep following people who leave you feeling like crap, do a digital declutter. Your mind will feel 10x lighter. Imagine a scrolling session (we all do it) without comparing yourself, your life, or your holidays to someone else’s highlight reel because the content you’re consuming is curated by you to feel good.

6. Meditate

Whether this is adding a new hobby into your routine or starting up again, your meditation practice will change the game. No, you do not have to sit for hours on end in silence, you can start with 10 long breaths, 5 minutes of white noise or even have a dance party alone in your room. Mediation looks different to everybody, in fact, there are hundreds of different ways to meditate, and no one is better than the other. The purpose here is to get out of your mind and into your body. To listen, check in with her, understand where tension might be or just move stagnant energy and release emotions that might be preventing you from stepping into the woman you truly know you can become.

7. Move your body

If I’m told to go on another mental health walk, I’ll scream. BUT the thing is…mental health walks really are a thing. Taking the time out of your day to move your body and shake things up a little is exactly what our minds need. We spend so much time scrolling on our phones, working from our laptops and avoiding the outside air, that we end up confining ourselves. It’s time to move your body, start a new workout regime, hire a trainer, try a new sport…anything. Your body will not only thank you for it, but your mind will too. Like meditation, you don’t need to be doing it for hours on end, start small and slow and build up. Importantly, find something which you enjoy doing that doesn’t feel like a chore. This is about a lifestyle addition, not a fad quick fix.

8. Reclaim you

The final one here is coming back to you. Reclaim your inner peace, connect back to your body and mind. As women, we are deeply connected to our bodies and minds, but we often ignore the signs, the subtle (or not so subtle) nudges. Use the other suggestions given, of putting yourself back in control; set your environment up so you feel good, listening to your gut, and your intuition, unsubscribe from things and people that have you out of alignment with how you want to live your life. Knowing how to set strong boundaries that will benefit your day-to-day life and keep you in alignment with this will help enormously. YOU should be your priority, so, it’s time to come back to you every single day. That means taking time for yourself, saying no more or even saying yes to new things, be your number one motivator — this is your time, grab the opportunity by the balls and go for it.

When it comes to spring cleaning your life, start slowly, don’t do it all at once as it’ll never help anyone. Pick one to start with and focus on that, because the more you add to your already busy to-do list, the more overwhelm you’ll bring to the table.

So, let’s do a quick breakdown on your next steps…

1. Declutter your environment to free space in your mind.

2. Restock your fridge with the things that support your goals

3. Go and grab yourself a water bottle woman.

4. Create a vision board and live for it.

5. Unsubscribe from the sh*t.

6. Take 5 mins for yourself every day.

7. Move more - walk, run skip; whatever works for you.

8. And finally, own who you are, back yourself, you are incredible.

Life can get away with us at times, and that’s completely okay — it’s why people like me are here and ready to keep you moving, cheer you on from the side-lines and make sure you’re doing the spring cleaning you know you need!