4 Ways to Refresh Your March

http://www.unsplash.com by Clem Onojeghuo

The spring equinox is just around the corner and with that sentiment, I've decided to make some changes in several aspects of my life. This blog has spent a lot of time on the cutting room floor with planning, designing, and rethinking the choice to start blogging again... what I would even blog about, but here I am... refreshed. 

When envisioning this blog, I thought about all the values that are important to me and specifically where I am in my life as a millennial. Aesthetically pleasing visuals, nutritious foods, wanderful travels, our journey to implementing new and useful lifestyle habits, some good Netflix content and so much more. And so, without further ado, the inaugural post.

Spring is my favourite season, regardless of the fact that I was born in the spring. The new buds on trees, flowers peeking up from the soil after a long winters nap, the rain, and the perfect temperature... I love it all. Spring is the season of growth, repurposing, and recommitment. So many of us focus on the starting of the year as the time to hash out all of our goals, but this puts so much pressure on ourselves to accomplish them that we end up giving up after only a couple of weeks or months if we get that far. It's an unfair characterization of how goals are really accomplished and how habits are truly formed. Goals are not one of those set and forget it type of things. They take constant work and dedication to really get any value or longevity. With I, like every other human being, am completely guilty of doing this for years on end, but I always found that springtime (as cliché as it may seem) is a time to refresh and check in with yourself. So, I thought that the perfect way to start off this spring would be to share 4 easy ways to refresh your March. 

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1. Cleanse

I know, another cliché but cleansing is one of the most common ways to start over. Think about it when you move to a new space, do you not clean it first to start off with a blank slate? Taking stock of the areas of your life that need some cleansing is the first step. For me, I know that my body requires a cleanse this month as part of my health journey (I'll be sure to talk more in depth about this later), so this month that is at the top of my list. Another thing that I'm doing to cleanse this month is my home, but especially my bedroom. After reading and researching the Kon Mari method, I went head first into decluttering my life. I donated about two-thirds of the clothing I owned and that has been a great motivator in cleansing some of my other belongings, however, I still haven't tackled my bookshelf. Look at some aspects of your home, work space, relationships, car, whichever, that feel more like a burden than a blessing and start there. Tiny steps like clearing out the junk drawer or vacuuming your car are great places to start and it's the small wins that will keep you motivated to continue cleansing.

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2. Simplify

Easier said than done, right? I'm totally with you there. I've already mentioned the Kon Mari method (and do yourself a favor and check it out), but some people just aren't built to go cold turkey. Sometimes it takes a little bit of time to get into that mental space of living with less. One way, as I mentioned, I'm starting to pare down my belongings. I did a massive clean out of my closet and dresser, sticking with the items that I love and make me feel confident wearing; my next step is, like I said, my bookshelf. It is currently overrun with hair care products, vitamins and supplements, and a LOT of books (the bottom shelf alone has all of my textbooks that I haven't decided whether or not to keep for reference). The biggest key here is to just start. A common theme in starting over or hitting the refresh button is to take stock and reflect on where you are currently in your life. Take some time to yourself without your cellphone, iPad, and Netflix and just reflect. This may look like meditation to some, taking a walk, or just sitting down with a piece of paper and a pen. However it may materialize in your life, just take a moment or two and just reflect on: how you're feeling in your life, what you would change, and what spaces in your life (home, office, car, laundry room, etc.) are bugging the heck out of you and systematically take note of what changes you could make to ease the burden.

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3. Reorganize

It's only been a few months since the start of the year, but it's easy for things to get out of place. Take a look at prime offenders like coins, receipts, utensils, and paperwork that has wandered away from its usual home. For me, maintaining my closet and stopping the habit of hanging a shirt or pants on the back of my chair is a big one. I'm nipping this in the butt by making sure they end up one of two places: back in the closet or into the laundry hamper. Seems simple enough, right? Riiiight, haha. For you, it may just be a matter of creating a home to those items, like getting or making a coin collector or an accordion file folder for your receipts. 

4. Remotivate

Over the past few years, I always start the year off feeling motivated to exercise more and feel healthier but I always end up losing that motivation a few weeks in. We were just talking about how we put so much focus on those new years’ goals that we put all this unnecessary pressure on ourselves. Spring is a great time to get out of that funk and start over with some renewed motivation. Take an afternoon or a weekend morning and go to town on some magazines or blogs. Create a vision board and put it somewhere you can see it daily to remind you of what you are working towards. 

How are you going to be refreshing your spring?