Spring Clean Your Life

Spring has finally sprung

It seems that spring has finally sprung, not only has the ground awakened from its winter slumber but I feel more awake too. Instead of pulling the duvet over my head and wishing for a few more hours in bed each day, I find that I am keen to get up and get started on the day. Perhaps spring should be the time of year to make New Years resolutions when are minds and bodies feel more ready for it rather than the dull dreary winter days of January.

There suddenly seems so much to do and the spring sunshine seems to have finally given me the boost I need to get started on those spring cleaning jobs around the house. This week alone I have managed to wash windows, clear the kitchen clutter and do a mass-tidy-up job on my son's bedroom. The garden is looking ready for me to tackle the springtime jobs of mowing the lawn and preparing the vegetable beds.

It's not only our home that is getting a big spring clean this time of year. Whilst decluttering those drawers and throwing out the items that are no longer of any use, it has got me thinking about whether there are any activities or commitments that are no longer working for us. Life is so busy these days and yet it is so easy to get stuck in a rut of doing the same old activities which stop you from getting a break or from trying out anything new. Whether its the kid's karate class that they no longer enjoy or serving on that committee where decisions never get made - perhaps it is time to consider moving on.

By clearing out our diaries in this way, we can make more room for the things we do enjoy or to try out some new activities that we've had on our bucket list since forever. For me, I'd love to learn to play the piano or go along to an art class for beginners.

Even if you don't feel quite ready to give up any of those old activities yet, sometimes the act of decluttering can be therapeutic in itself. I know I feel so much more organised and ready to face the world when the house is clean and looking tidy. When the kitchen surfaces are not strewn with paperwork and magazines, it makes me actually want to get into the kitchen and do some baking or to try cooking something new.

My 'decluttered' kitchen - The surfaces usually get filled with paperwork!

Sorting out my wardrobe has helped me pass on the items that I know I no longer fit into (but have held onto for the last decade 'just in case'). To celebrate the space created by doing this, I was able to treat myself to a new dress that I snapped up in the sales.

My new red dress to celebrate clearing out my wardrobe

Spring cleaning your life will look different for everyone. For some it might be the 'eat well, exercise more' scenario, for others it might be making a little 'me-time' - I know that is something that I need to make a priority this year as I realised that the only time I have had a night away from the children in the past 10 years was to pop down to the hospital to give birth to another one - so I'm not sure that exactly qualifies as 'me-time!'

And I for one am going to be making the most of the spring sunshine while it's here. Whether it is a walk amongst the spring flowers to brighten up my day, getting some fresh air taking in the sounds of the sea at the beach, or simply sitting in the garden for some quiet time to read and still my mind - I'm going to be taking a small step each day to improve my wellbeing with the aim of giving all areas of my life a bit of a spring clean.