Spring is here! Keep enjoying the outdoors while making a resolution to live stress free. Try these simple tips to de-cluttering your life and your home.
- Bring the outdoors inside. Once nice weather hits, we want to be outside as much as we can. Unfortunately, obligations at home and work keep us cooped up more than we want to be. Instead, buy plants or flowers that can thrive inside. Having greenery in your life reduces depression, improves attention and concentration, and helps reoxygenate your house and make it easier to breathe.
- Schedule screenings and doctor appointments. If you haven't seen your Doctor in a while, it's a good idea to make an appointment to check up on your health. The same goes for the Dentist!
- Focus on sleep. Spring is notorious for the change in daylight savings that retracts one more hour of missed sleep. Reset your sleep clock to get the proper seven to nine hours. Try using lavender essential oils to help you drift off to sleep.
- De-clutter your medicine cabinet. Medicine should be stored in a cool, dry cabinet, not in the bathroom. The expiration date is your best guidance for the potency of medicine, but if you’re unsure, take old prescriptions to your pharmacy for proper disposal.
- Re-arrange your pantry. The first foods you see are often the first foods you grab to eat. Foods with little nutritional value, such as added sugars like cookies or candy, should be tossed or moved to the back of the pantry where they are less visible. Rearrange the cabinet so that healthy options like whole grain crackers, nuts and granola are the first thing you see.
- Learn how to de-stress instantly. Simply breathing can reduce stress levels. A daily walk allows you to get outside and enjoy a dose of sunshine and vitamin D. Clean your windows to let the sun's rays in and brighten up your home. Sunlight is great natural light for our mood and our professional performance.
- Create new spring meals. Head to your local farmer's market and pick up a new spring fruit or vegetable you may not have tried before. Toss together a spring salad mixed with fresh spinach, sliced strawberries and slivered almonds for a refreshing start to a meal
- Purge old makeup. Most products have at least a one-year shelf life, although organic products may go bad faster. Throw it out if you notice changes in the product, such as an odor or separation of ingredients.
- Replace old workout shoes. Your comfy, running shoes don’t last forever. You should replace running shoes every 600 miles of running. The material, particularly in the heel, wears out with use and loses the cushioning effect that your feet need.
- Allergy-proof your house. Change your HVAC or air conditioning filters in preparation for use in hot weather, and wash all blankets in the house that were used throughout the winter.
