With winter in our rearview mirror and a little bit of extra sunlight each day, many of us are looking forward to turning off the heaters and taking our lunch breaks outside.

Spring cleaning doesn’t only mean putting your winter woolies back to the top of your wardrobe, decluttering your home, or scrubbing away the damp in your bathroom. It can also be a great time to spring clean all areas of your life to make sure you’re living your best life.

Here are our top tips…

1. Re-Marie Kondo your surroundings

If you’re anything like us, back in January when Marie Kondo hit our screens you binged every episode back to back. Kondo left many inspired to Spring-clean their surroundings, bringing the phrase “does this item spark joy?” into our regular vocab. 

Kondo’s approach is much more than a selection of tips to help you clean and organise your belongings. It’s also about being intentional with what you choose to own and how that impacts your way of living, thinking, and perspective on life.

“By eliminating excess visual information that doesn’t inspire joy, you can make your space much more peaceful and comfortable.”

- Marie Kondo

Are your surroundings due for a Spring-clean? Try the KonMari method, and watch as you rediscover the things that are most important to you, leaving yourself surrounded by only the things you truly love!

2. Step outside 

Nature truly has a healing and restorative power, it provides an opportunity to tune in — both to our own experience and to the world around us.

Taking a walk outdoors stimulates both your body and your mind, and the benefits are endless, including:

• stress and anxiety reduction
• increased energy, emotional regulation
• enhanced awareness and creativity
• improved concentration
• increased productivity

Well what are you waiting for? Get outside!

3. Establish a sleep routine

Now that the weather is warming up, make sure to switch off the heater and lose those extra blankets. Some other tips for ensuring a better quality sleep:

1. Look after your natural body clock by avoiding screens for 1-2 hours before bed. Dimming your lights also helps, or lowering the light in your room to just a lamp.
   
   
2. Minimise internal disruptions by finding ways to settle both the mind and body.  Try taking a hot shower, listening to calming music, as well as minimising your intake of alcohol, caffeine, and rich foods in the hours before going to sleep.
   
   
3. Minimise external disruptions by paying attention to the conditions in your bedroom. Invest in earplugs if you’re a light sleeper, or set up some black out curtains if the sun disrupts you in the morning.
4. Make sure you’re sleepy enough before bed. Experiment with different relaxing activities that can help you to unwind a little before hitting the pillow. Try reading a book, or playing one of our sleep meditations from our 21 Night Sleep Program!
   

4. Establish or reestablish your mindfulness habit

The hardest past of meditation is actually sticking to regular practice. The more often you practice taking quiet moments to check in with yourself, the more benefits you’ll experience. However, this can be easier said than done.

We suggest working meditation practice into your morning routine, doing it first thing when you wake up. Research shows that we have more willpower in the morning compared to the evening!

For more tips on making meditation a habit, click here.

5. Eat mindfully

When whipping up some tasty recipes this spring, make time to sit down and unplug at each meal time. Step away from technology completely, eat at the table and focus your attention and awareness on the meal.

Mindful eating is a wonderful, sensory experience. Take time to notice and feel all of the aromas, textures, sounds, flavours and colours of the food in front of you. Be Mindful of the atmosphere, the company you are keeping, what is happening in the present moment. This allows you to be fully present and get the most enjoyment, pleasure out of your food.

For some extra support, try listening to our Mindful Eating program and bringing some of the thoughts into your next meal. Or, to read more tips on how to eat mindfully, click here.

Give these spring-cleaning ideas a go, and download the Smiling Mind app for extra tips and tricks to keep you mindful!