April, to me, is when Spring finally sets in. We’ve officially made it out of Winter, and we get a little bit of refreshment before Summer rolls around. I have always loved Spring for the fact that it feels like a time to reflect, reevaluate, and revive myself. Last year, I wrote about how my Spring cleaning was focused on taking time offline to clean up my relationship with social media. This year, I’m taking a look at four key areas of my life: 1) physical spaces, 2) what I’m consuming mentally, 3) what I am putting out into the world energetically and spiritually, and 4) emotionally, what relationships in my life I feel best in. I thought I’d share with you so that we can all clean out the cobwebs and feel our best, together.
1.PHYSICAL SPACES
We all have at least one place in our lives where we could be a little bit cleaner. Whether it’s your bedroom, your closet, underneath the bathroom sink, or the trunk of a car, Spring is a great time to do the cleaning you’ve been putting off. For me, my car is always the first thing to get messy in my life because I am constantly commuting for work and taking to-go bags of clothes and makeup that seem to stay in my trunk for months. Or, my personal favorite, when I clean out my closet only to leave the donations in the trunk of my car for way too long. This past week I decided it was time to clean out my trunk, vacuum everything, and reorganize my travel bags. That snowballed into cleaning my room, my closet, and my vanity, which I am still in the middle of as we speak. It feels so good to tackle the tasks I’ve been putting off, plus I’m finding clothes I totally forgot about, getting rid of things I didn’t miss, and creating new outfits with things I thought I lost!
2.MENTAL CONSUMPTION
The things we listen to, watch, and interact with affect us deeply mentally. Last year, I asked myself who I was still following online that negatively affected my mental health. This year, I’m using the Grocery Store Rule. I got this rule from my friend Dallas, who writes about this in her upcoming book, but basically her idea is that you don’t follow anyone on social media who you wouldn’t want to stop and have a conversation with if you ran into them at the grocery store. I love this rule because I feel like it’s so true that you shouldn’t follow people online if you wouldn’t be excited to catch up with them in person if given the chance. Beyond that, I’m trying to restructure how and when I’m consuming things. I try to start my day listening to music outside rather than reaching for my phone and checking my socials first thing. I notice SUCH a huge difference in my overall productivity and mental health on days when I don’t check my phone until after I’ve been outside, had something to eat, and set my intentions for the day. Clearing out my mind is just as important as clearing out my room!
3.SPIRITUAL PROJECTION
I feel like this is something I don’t see talked about enough, but Spring is a great time to clean up what you’re putting out into the world, especially spiritually. I’m Christian, and on Easter I got to thinking about how much my mindset, prayer, and how I speak to God, myself, and others has changed my reality so much. No matter your religious or spiritual affiliation, I think all of us can be conscious of the fact that negative thoughts create a negative reality. When we ask or speak, the Universe and God answer and listen. I have two pastors – one in California and one in Hawaii – and they’ve both talked about how sometimes we think God isn’t listening or answering our prayers because we don’t get what we want, and therefore we think we’ve been abandoned. In reality, we weren’t meant to receive the thing we were praying for. I think what everyone can take from this is that we won’t be able to control every aspect of our lives. We won’t always get what we want, or what we think is best. What we can do, in every situation, is choose to move with love, positivity, and compassion. I’ve found that when I do that, I ask for less and feel like I have more.
4.EMOTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS
Something I am quickly learning about myself is that who I spend my time with seriously impacts whether or not I feel overwhelmed, depleted, or fatigued. I think sometimes we don’t realize that certain relationships are weighing on us, because our love for the person keeps us from acknowledging that the emotional interaction isn’t serving us. This year, I’m taking an inventory of who I feel recharged, inspired, appreciated, and invigorated with. I think it’s so important to prioritize relationships that fill our cups rather than drain them. Beyond that, I’m starting to understand that sometimes I have to say no to hanging out, not because I don’t want to see certain people, but because I need to prioritize time with myself. As much as I love my friends, it’s still so important for me to have uninterrupted time alone to listen to music, clean my room (still doing it), read, or just rest. It’s not selfish, and sometimes the best thing we can do for others is take care of ourselves.
If you don’t feel ready to tackle all of these areas, pick one a week from now until Summer! Unfollow people who you wouldn’t say hello to in real life, take your donations to Goodwill instead of letting them sit in the bottom of your closet or trunk, spend time with people who recharge you, spend intentional time alone, and set your intentions with whatever higher being brings you peace. Do what you can and watch the way the clearing out creates room for fresh new ideas (and outfits).<3
