AHH-CHOO! Uh-oh, you know what that means… It’s finally spring, a season filled with warm weather and sunshine! We can almost smell the fresh flowers here at Molloy… Well not all of us because #AllergyProbs, but almost everyone. The most important way to beat the winter blues is to do some spring cleaning. Time to whip out those essentials: the mop, Windex, garbage bags and an open mind. But don’t forget these five additional ways you can spice up your spring cleaning this year.
Social Media
Social media is like a loved one: can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em. If you ever stopped to realize how much time you’ve wasted mindlessly going through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or Tumblr, you might consider yourself an addict.
Why are we so addicted to these apps, when even we call them useless, silly or annoying? To be honest, we’re not quite sure. But think about it: Do you actually know the people you follow? If they’re not a celebrity, an inspiration or a cool blogger, then there’s no need to follow them. I’m sure that girl you met once at an event once will not care if you unfollow her. And even if you do know them, when was the last time you retweeted, favorited or liked one of their posts? If it’s been more than two months, I’d say it’s time to go Elsa on them and “let it go.” Our next piece of advice, and this may be difficult for some, is to give yourself a limit to how many times you can open each app on your phone. Start off small to see how much easier it will be to live without them.
Room
Look around your room. Can you see the floor? If not, don’t panic! Take all of the clothes, bags, shoes and anything else accumulated on your floor into a different room. Then get a vacuum to snatch up the dust bunnies sitting around (especially under the bed!). Now, start separating items into piles of things you use and things you don’t use. Put things you value or use on a regular basis in storage containers or bags, and donate the items you no longer want or need. If you need help to increase your motivation, listen to music to make cleaning your room more enjoyable.
Wardrobe
Out of the way, winter sweater. Warm weather and bright colors are so much better! Spend a day going through your wardrobe and rate each article of clothing on a scale of one to ten – one being you will never wear it again and ten being “Oh my gosh. You have to keep it!” If you rate something below a four, you may want to consider donating it. But if you rate it above a six, consider holding onto it for another season. This will give you a clear vision of what you want and don’t want. After rating each item, try it on to decide if it fits or not to further eliminate items from the pile.
Friends
Many people have that one negative person in their life, but what should you do when they’re your “friend”? Recognize people affecting you negatively in your life and how they’re doing it. These people can be family members, friends or just acquaintances. Determine whether you want to stop associating with each person altogether or if you want to try to work it out. This separation can be decided by who the person is to you and how important it is for you to have them in your life. For example, there are some people in your life, like a family member or an old friend, who you can’t seem to get along with but just do not want to break away from.
Once you decide who you want to work on relationships with, do your best to analyze how you feel and use “I” messages. It’s important not to make the person feel attacked, even if they’ve been attacking you. Express your feelings, and hopefully, he or she will be listening and willing to repair the relationship. If not, at least your you were able to get your negative feelings off of your chest.
Health and Fitness
Eating healthy and keeping active can be very intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. This doesn’t mean you have to run four miles each day and eat nothing but fruit. You don’t need a gym membership with this nice spring weather so get outside. You can ride your bike, take a swim, or just go for a walk! And contrary to popular belief, your snacking doesn’t have to stop. Fruit in general is a good substitute for satisfying your sweet tooth, but if you prefer savory flavors, try coated almonds. You may even consider trying a detox. It can be as short as a day where you drink a lot of liquids like tea, water and homemade juice and stay away from carbs!
Staying away from social media, parting ways with your favorite clothes and personal relationships, and staying active and eating healthy may not be as easy as it sounds. Everyone struggles. Just remember to give yourself time and be patient. It’s never too late to work on yourself and your health.