Many look at January as the month of renewal and resurgence. People buy planners, make resolutions and vow to change their lives when the first of the dreary month approaches.
They let it be their clean sweep, their one chance to rid the bad and welcome in the good. It’s their time to let go of everything in the past and start fresh, start clean.
But why does January have to be the only month? What if you missed the boat and wanted to start again? What if you need another month to give yourself a clean slate? What if you botched it the first time and need another moment, another reason to rid yourself of the previous year? If you ask me, what better time to change your life and renew your spirit than with the advent of spring and with it, some spring cleaning?
You know, spring cleaning. It’s when the weather starts to get nice again and your mom finally vacuums behind the couch in the guest bedroom and you have to help clean out the garage.
It’s when the weather starts to get warm and you can’t imagine opening the windows without throwing out all the sh*t that’s been piling up underneath them all winter. It's the time when everything must be reorganized or thrown away to make room for everything to grow again.
Spring cleaning can be just as much a time of renewal and revival as the New Year. It’s a time when you can shake off the bad, dust away the ugly and take out the trash in favor of a better you.
It’s a time of cleansing, purging and resurrection. It’s when the flowers come back in bloom and your dirty past can be swept away in anticipation of a new, cleaner beginning.
So if you’re feeling restless and defeated by the long winter, it's most likely time for a good spring cleaning. It's the perfect time to use this cusp of a new season as the beginning of a new you and the reason to get your life back in order and back on track.
Clean Your Room
...I mean, really clean it. Air out your rugs, dry-clean your sheets and organize your closet. Throw away all the trash under your bed and those unnecessary papers in your desk drawers. Make room in your bureau, throw away all the sweaters you didn’t wear this winter, or the past three.
Organize your hangers, rearrange your space and make room for all the new stuff you are going to collect throughout the spring. A clean room is just a symbol of a clean soul, and the bedroom is the best place to start.
End All Toxic Relationships
Whether you’re in a relationship that’s romantic or platonic, if it’s not working, now is the time to break away. You’ve been cooped up all winter, driving each other mad, and sometimes you need to learn when to let go of dead weight.
Don't enter into a new season attached to toxic relationships that will only bring old baggage and bad feelings into a fresh start.
Open Yourself Up For Opportunity
Winter has been rough. The cold is as good enough excuse as any not to feel up to doing anything or seeing anyone. However, with the spring comes the warm weather and with warm weather comes no more excuses.
Use this time to reconnect with old friends, accept invitations you wouldn’t normally take and be adventurous. Tell yourself that the harsh winter weather was the only thing keeping you from concerts, seeing friends and just going with the flow. Open yourself up to the idea of being open to anything.
Get Up Early
Now that it’s not dark as early in the night, let the warm weather invigorate your soul and inspire you to action. Now that it’s not going to be freezing when you walk outside, use your mornings as a way to start your day off right.
Get up early so you have time to enjoy that cup of coffee or take a walk through the park on your way to work. Start your weekends early, rather than sleeping through half of Saturday.
Take the long way to your morning breakfast spot; explore neighborhoods and outdoor cafes. Use the mornings to get done the work you should have done last night and start working towards your goals.
Forgive Yourself
Let go of all those regrets that creep up on you throughout the day, weighing on your mind and putting pressure on your back. The hardest thing about bad memories is they seem to never want to leave.
Make a conscious effort to expel them from your mind and vow never to care again. In order to move on with the season, you have to let go of all those dark thoughts you keep letting hold you down. Forgive yourself and move on, letting the past stay in the past.
Let Go Of All Grudges
Holding on to anger is not only a waste of time and energy, but it’s also toxic. Going into spring holding on to grudges and betrayals is not only going to make for a miserable season, but a miserable life.
Spring is about rebirth, renewal, and it’s time to let go of the negativity and anger holding you down because it’s only keeping you from blossoming.
Let the spring be a clean slate for not only yourself, but also for everyone around you. Start fresh with everyone, letting the negativity and grudges melt away with the snow.
Find A Passion
If you don’t already have one, use this time to explore an area of yourself you have yet to find. Try out painting, take a writing class or just devote more time to reading.
Make yourself explore one artistic hobby outside of your daily grind and commit yourself to it for as long as possible. Who knows, you may end up discovering you’re meant to be a painter and not a stock broker. (It’s also a great way to de-stress after a long day.)
Top Photo Courtesy: We Heart It
