Spring Cleaning Tips

Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth, growth and blossoming. It is an exemplary season to reaffirm those resolutions of heightened health and improved self-care. And sometimes, when life is hectic, and we are tempted to put off self-care, that’s when we need it most.

It is true that sometimes self-care means putting yourself first, but it is not selfish or self-indulgent. You can also boost yourself by helping others with their self-care. Need some ideas? Here are some excellent spring self-care tips to get you started.

1. Declutter

Physical clutter in your personal space can create emotional clutter in your psyche. Clutter can affect your anxiety level and your sleep hygiene, which in turn can affect your productivity level and ability to concentrate. When the clutter becomes overwhelming, people often turn to avoidance behaviors, like watching TV or having too much screen time.

Decluttering can be liberating and exhilarating. There is such a sense of accomplishment when you once again have clean floors, shelves, and closets. Dressers no longer bulging with unworn clothes can lead to laundry actually being folded and put away. Donate those unworn clothes and other gently-used household items, and you can increase that warm feeling tenfold.

Want to increase that self-care a hundredfold? Help a friend or family member with a declutter project. Even if all you do is help them box up what needs to go and take them to their next destination, it can be a huge help. (p.s. We love decluttering so much, our product boxes are reusable as pretty organizers!)

2. Aromatherapy

Holistic therapies like aromatherapy are perfect for spring self-care. Aromatherapy can help:

• Manage pain
• Ease anxiety
• Reduce stress
• Enhance relaxation and sleep
• Boost immunity

Our sense of smell is also one of the strongest memory triggers, so choose aromatherapies that invoke a warm healing memory. Perhaps fresh-mowed grass reminds you of fun summer days as a child. A lavender-themed gift box might remind you of happy times with grandma and grandpa.

Essential oils are another way to harness the power of fragrance, and an essential oil roller set makes it easy to apply and take it all with you when you’re on the go.

3. Employer-Sponsored Self-Care Ideas

More and more employers are embracing the productivity power of providing self-care opportunities to their staff. They now realize that a bit of downtime and employee investment can result in a more fruitful workday.

As an employer, you can provide spring self-care by:

• Establishing a comfortable, quiet mindfulness break area
• Assessing work stations for optimal ergonomics
• Conducting outdoor fresh-air meetings, perhaps even offsite at a park or zoo
• Providing a healthy lunch once a week
• Giving a Thank You Care Package to employees to show your appreciation for hard work well done
• Bringing in a massage therapist
• Arranging meditation or yoga classes at the worksite
• Allowing for a flexible work schedule

4. 10-Minute Self-Care Activities

One of the best spring self-care tips is that it doesn’t need to involve a lot of time. Commit to taking 10 minutes for yourself every day, and then do your best to keep said commitment. (And don’t beat yourself up if some days you can’t!)

Some simple ways you can indulge in spring self-care in just a few minutes include:

• Taking a quick nap
• Making a quick call to a friend
• Snuggling with your fur baby
• Writing in a journal
• Watching an episode of your favorite show
• Sitting in the plaza and watching people
• Going for a walk

5. House Swap

House swapping has become a popular way to find affordable accommodations when on vacation, but consider swapping with friends or family for a mini-vacation. It may not seem like much at first, but just being in a new place with no responsibilities, even just for a couple of days, can be so rejuvenating.

Why not just do it at home, you ask? Because too often, when we try to relax at home, we are still looking around and thinking, “I should really launder those drapes,” or “I should be redoing that landscaping.” When you are at someone else’s home, all you can do is relax.

6. Volunteer

While adding another commitment to your schedule may seem to be the antithesis to self-care, the emotional reward can keep you on an emotional high for days. And for something that is a permanent change in your community, like helping clean up and painting a mural, or helping to install playground equipment, you can relive the warm fuzzies each time you pass.

Choose an organization or an activity that means a lot to you, like working with veterans or helping an animal rescue organization. Create your own at-home fundraiser by having a themed party and putting out a donation jar. A little bit can go a long way!

The Cycle of Care

You can’t adequately care for others if you don’t take care of yourself. Spring self-care can help you roust out those winter blahs and blues and soak in the sunshine of the new season. Do it with Spoonful of Comfort’s Peace and Pampering Care Package or visit a friend or take some time for yourself. If it makes you feel good, then it is good self-care!