Hello lovely friends, I hope you’re well! With the gorgeous sunshine we’ve been having recently (albeit rather chilly), I have been thinking about how great a good spring clean is for the soul!

Taking time to de-clutter and deep-clean is such a worthwhile exercise and I can’t think of a better time to start afresh with a new routine. Over the past few weeks, I have been sorting through lots of my belongings to create space for decorating and after a 2 year search, i’ve discovered the most exquisite tiles. Who knew that tiles could make a girl so happy!?! Well, I am and they’re rocking my world!

De-cluttering has most definitely been good for my soul so I thought I’d share with you the things I implement each Spring to make the rest of the year run more smoothly! I’ve also incorporated some time-saving hacks; it feels great to make my home and time run more smoothly.

1) Organise your wardrobe. This might sound like a simple (and obvious) task but I can’t tell you how good it felt to sort my clothes into piles; being quite ruthless with the things I haven’t worn for a few years was quite tricky but ultimately, it was great to sift-through and bundle-up jumpers that someone else could make good use of. I didn’t like the idea of throwing away perfectly good  clothes etc so I took 3 huge bags to my local charity shop. My wardrobe is now looking really orderly and I know where everything is! Woohoo!

2) Find joy in the little things. With the gorgeous season of Spring not far away, it may feel easier to enjoy the little moments. Beautiful flowers are waking from their winter slumber and we too feel more alive. Our period of cozying-up during the winter hibernation period is coming to an end and with increased sunlight comes increased energy. I love it when I see the first Daddodils of the year radiate their golden light. It signifies sunshine, hope and new life. Just like nature, we spring into action and taking little moments each day to marvel at the beauty of nature can really bolster our mental wellbeing.

3) Create a meal plan. Oh yes. This is right up my street and not only has it saved an amazing amount of time, it has also saved me lots of money! Creating a plan for the week and batch-cooking meals are great time-busters! I hate to throw food away and by cooking meals in larger quantities reduces waste and saves energy. Tin containers are best for freezing and you’ll have yourself some quick and easy meals to grab-and-go when you’re pushed for time in the evening.

4) Buy some binders! That’s right! This may sound like a totally mundane task but I can’t tell you how thoroughly amazingly is! Kudos to those of you who have always kept a tight ship in terms of paperwork! Keeping mine in order is a relatively new expedition into the unknown for me but it has  been such an amazing timesaver! 

Once a month, I go through all of my post and file it. Simple. I have to be honest, I find it laborious but I know that by keeping on-top of it, I will ultimately save time down the line. I find that when my paperwork has a home, I’m on top of things aside from this if that makes sense?!?

5) Set-aside time for exercise. Yep. There’s nothing quite like getting the blood pumping to make us feel alive. I’ve been (quite remarkably) going to the gym fairly regularly and although it was a mission initially, I’ve well and truly found my groove and I’m really enjoying it! Exercise is so great for the body and mind; the endorphins released during exercise trigger a positive feeling in the body for sure! 

Working-up a sweat is also amazing for skin health. Look at it as a kind of Spring clean for the organs! The liver is the second largest organ after the skin and it can take a bit of a battering with the stresses and strains of life. Exercise can assist with flushing toxins through the body and if we up our water intake after a good session, this process will be more efficient.

6) Organise your workspace. This is of particular importance to me as I am freelance (woohoo!). If I’m out visiting clients, I’ll take work with me but if I’m working from home, my desk has to be tidy! A tidy and organised desk = an organised and efficient me! Organising your workload can also help in maintaining a sense of order and calm! The quality of my writing is infinitely better when I have a lovely, orderly desk (with a side of smoothie!)

So, whatever your workspace happens to be, taking some time to give it a tidy can be really beneficial in terms of productivity. My cork board is my best friend! 

7) Get in the AM zone. Since time ticked-over to 2019, I’ve been finding real joy in the routine of my mornings. It helps me to get ready for the day and it puts me in a productive mood. By seeing-through the little steps I’ve implemented at the beginning of the day, the rest just seems to fall into place. 

8) Set long-term goals. For the past few years, I’ve been letting the new year roll-in and eeked my way through January armed with a notebook in which I have written the things I’d like to focus on for the coming year or two (or 5). It can sometimes feel quite overwhelming when we have a goal or dream we’d like to achieve but we’re not too sure how we’re going to get from A to B. It’s become really apparent to me (through experience) that it’s really good to take one step at a time. If I think about the end result too soon, I am in danger of telling myself that it’s not going to happen! I think that we can all be guilty of this and it’s a kind of fearful self-sabotage that sets-in when we are on the precipit of fabulousness magnificence. I now write a rough plan, with incremental, achievable steps that keep me going! I wholeheartedly advocate list-writing! Taking things as we go, in bite-sized pieces had been a winning formula for me.

9) Cherish the quiet. Be still and appreciate the silence; taking time to relax and sit with our thoughts can be hugely beneficial to our health, an all ways. Our brains need time to rest and recalibrate and by allowing ourselves the time to have a quiet cuppa with no tv, phone, iPad….(etc), we give ourselves the opportunity to reconnect with our guiding voice which can be drowned-out by the noise of every day life. I have cultivated a really nice routine that involves a steaming cup of chai, a hot water bottle, my note pad and 10 minutes to gather my thoughts. It’s really making a difference and I feel much calmer and more aligned with what my heart is encouraging me to do.

10) Get out in nature. This is one of the best pieces of advice I can give to anyone who is looking for inspiration on how to change their habits and refresh their way of living. Did you know that a huge percentage of light doesn’t reach us when we’re indoors? Even when it’s glorious outside, we won’t reap the full benefits and our daily vitamin D quota if we stay inside. 

“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks” John Muir.

Walking in nature will be one of the most beneficial things you can do for your health. Getting blood pumping around the body whilst breathing-in deep lung-fulls of fresh air will impact health both mentally and physically in the most magical ways! 

If you find it a struggle to get out and about, keeping oxygenating plants at home and opening windows can also have a positive impact on wellbeing. Letting fresh air in to circulate and move energy around the home will revive the spirits no end and lush, green, vibrant foliage can brighten any room.

Well, there we have it! These 10 steps can help to lift the spirits, revive the soul and make us want to be more active as Spring gets ever closer. 

I truly cannot wait for the warmer weather to arrive and for the 100 deniers to be stored-away in lieu of maxis and wedges! My absolute comfort zone!!!

Have a gorgeous day and don’t forget to check-out my Instagram account and of course my website for my delicious and healthy recipes!

All my love

Holly.