10 Ways to Spring into Summer

Now is the perfect time to clean out the clutter and rethink old habits.

Spring is here and you know what that means – time to clean out the old and give yourself (and your living space) a total refresh. And since spring-cleaning is a sure-fire way to boost mood and improve mental wellbeing, airing out your home and getting more organized is a total no-brainer. While you’re bagging up old clothes and scrubbing down nooks and crevices, don’t forget about your diet and eating habits – they could use some freshening up too!

5 Ways to Spring-Clean Your Diet

1. Clean out the kitchen and pantry

While scrubbing the house and tossing out old things is super important, the same goes for your refrigerator and pantry. It’s amazing how many expired foods build up overtime. Not only are these foods taking up valuable fridge and shelf space, they’re also not ideal foods to cook with or consume.

2. Plan, Make a List, and Prepare

Now that you’ve gotten rid of spoiled or expired foods from your fridge and pantry, make a list of things you need to restock and refill. Take some time to plan out what you’d like to eat or serve your family and use that as a guide to creating your grocery list. Consider organizing your pantry with cubbies, bins and lazy susans to help avoid a messy pantry and future buildup of (almost) empty boxes and expired ingredients.

3. Stock Up On the Good Stuff

Using your newly created weekly menu and list of foods that need to be restocked, hit the stores. Stock up on foods you eat regularly and common ingredients that may be needed in the future. Fill your fridge and pantry with nutritious foods that keep you full and satisfied – think lean proteins (chicken, fish, turkey, meat, eggs, dairy), complex high fiber carbs (sweet potatoes, rice, quinoa, whole grain pasta and cereals), healthy fats (avocado, guacamole, nuts and seeds, nut butters, olive oil), and fresh/frozen fruits and veggies (spinach, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, apples, oranges, berries, bananas, etc.).

4. Allow Some Wiggle Room

Though your goal is to clean up your diet, that doesn’t mean you have to ditch all less healthy foods. Planning ahead and prepping meals in advance will help you fill your day with nutrient-dense, satisfying foods, but remember to allow for some wiggle room. The occasional date night or pizza party is 100% part of a healthy eating program. Plus, giving yourself permission to enjoy food here and there will help you stay on track and maintain a healthy relationship with food.

5. Stick to a Meal Schedule and Pay Attention to Portions

Are you someone who doesn’t need anything to eat at breakfast? Are you finding yourself ravenous in the evenings and unable to satisfy your hunger? If so, not eating breakfast isn’t working for you! Our bodies like consistency and that means eating something every few hours, every day. Not only does this keep you full and satisfied all day long, it also helps reduce cravings and prevent you from making poor food choices or overeating later in the day. Don’t forget about portions – overeating any food is not good for your body. Make your life easier by stocking your kitchen with foods that are in pre-portioned packages or measured out in advance.

5 Ways to Spring-Clean Your Life

1. Commit to it

Cleaning, for many people, often feels like a chore. But since it’s been proven that getting rid of clutter and cleaning up your environment improves mood and reduces stress, it needs to be done. Commit to making it happen; pick a day or handful of days you can allot to cleaning and organizing. Then create a plan as to what you’re going tackle on each day.

2. Write a to-do list

When there’s a lot to do it’s easy to feel out of sorts and not know where to start. Take some time to create a to-do list of things you’d like to get done around your space. To-do lists can help you stay organized, feel less jumbled, and help you avoid forgetting anything.

3. Start with your least favorite chore/activity

Get the least favorite stuff done first, that way you’re not left with the daunting work when you’re exhausted and more likely to forgo getting it done.

4. Plan Your Time

When you’re creating your calendar of days you can commit to cleaning, remember to include the amount of time you can spend on each task. And if you can only do a little bit today and then some tomorrow, that’s OK too. Don’t stress yourself out if it can’t all be done in one day. The end result is still the same – a clean and tidy home!

5. Imagine the end result

When it all seems too intimidating to even get started – envision the end result. What will it feel like to have gotten rid of so many things you just don’t need anymore? Often getting rid of things can make you feel lighter and brighten the mood. Use this when you’re in the thick of it and feeling like it’s never going to get done. It will get done and you’re going to feel great afterwards.