While summer might be right around the corner, you still have time left to take advantage of spring and its many benefits, so don’t miss out! Spring is a season of transition and an opportunity for you to organize and balance yourself for the rest of the year.
As you gradually thaw out from your winter hibernation and make plans for a sunny summer, it’s the perfect time to hit the reset button. To declutter your space, change up your eating habits, start a workout routine, or set new goals.
Ready to begin? Start by accepting that the Best Way to Make Room for New Healthy Habits to Grow is to spring clean your space, diet, and routine in preparation for the summer! Here we go, in order of importance…
Spring Clean Your Surroundings
1. Establish a Welcoming Space
A clean and organized space helps ease stress and makes it easier to find the things you need. (And it can also help reduce your allergies by clearing out all that dust!)
There’s also something incredibly powerful about donating things you no longer use to a new home. Or throwing out unwanted items that have been cluttering both your home and your heart. You’re clearing out the old to make space for the new.
And on top of all that, cleaning is also a great form of exercise!
But don’t try and tackle the goal of cleaning your entire home all in one go. Focus on one section of your home at a time. Set a timer for 20 or 30 minutes and focus on cleaning and clearing out the clutter from that one section until your timer goes off. Then, repeat this process the next time you have 20 minutes to spare.
Breaking out your cleaning into tiny chunks makes the task more manageable. Before you know it, your home will start transforming into a cleaner and less-stressful space.
2. Declutter Your Workspace
You might be spending seven to eight hours a day in your workspace. And if it’s cluttered or messy this can impact your productivity, focus, and mental health. By decluttering your space you can help declutter your mind. And we’re not just talking about your physical desk, but the laptop where you might spend hours on end.
Take 20 minutes one day to run through this list. It might surprise you how much better you feel once you finish!
- Organize all those papers piling up on your desk
- Throw away trash or old notes you no longer need
- Clear out or organize your Inbox so it’s less overwhelming
- Wipe down your desk to rid it of stains and dust
- Clean up your desktop home page by either deleting or organizing all your files
- Bookmark important tabs and close pages you don’t need right now
- Limit the number of things you have on your desk
- Use your drawers and filing cabinets to store those things you need on hand
3. Grow a Plant or Two
Have you been wanting to grow something, even if it’s very small? Spring is the perfect time to try out your green thumb! Head to your local plant nursery to buy seeds or new plants. And get your hands dirty cleaning up and clearing out your yard.
You’ll find that it’s a therapeutic experience using your own two hands to bring something to life. And it’s a full-body workout to yank up weeds and shovel out dirt!
If you live in an apartment or a home with no yard, consider buying a few plants to spruce up your space. Or grow your own herbs right in your kitchen. Then throw open the windows to let in the spring air and sunshine!
Spring Clean Your Diet
4. Shop Raw and Fresh
Spring is the perfect time to head to your local farm stand or sign up for a community-supported agriculture (CSA) crop sharing program. Purchasing fresh, in-season produce is a game-changer for your health. Fruits and veggies like bell peppers, strawberries, oranges, corn, asparagus, artichokes, and more are loaded with important vitamins and minerals that you need to stay healthy.
They also make cooking more fun and delicious, and help encourage a healthier lifestyle. Because who doesn’t love a colorful assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables straight from your local farm?
5. Try Healthier Habits
Spring is a season of change, and what better way to spring clean your life than to take charge of your diet and start eating healthier! And with more in-season produce available, it’ll be easier to get your hands on some healthy foods.
Start by spring cleaning your pantry and fridge by donating or throwing out high-sugar junk foods and replacing them with healthier alternatives instead. Like popcorn, fresh fruit, or delicious homemade smoothie ingredients!
Then go grocery shopping and cover your bases with all the major food groups you need to stay healthy:
- Lean protein: Fish, chicken, turkey, nuts, seeds, tofu, beans, legumes, eggs
- Healthy fats: Nuts, seeds, eggs, fatty fish, avocados, olives, oils
- Fruits: Blueberries, strawberries, bananas, oranges
- Vegetables: Broccoli, asparagus, carrots, peppers, corn
- Whole grains: Oats, quinoa, barley, whole wheat bread
Check the back label and look out for:
- Fiber: You need more fiber in your diet! Check the back label of the cereals and bread you buy to choose the highest-fiber option. And load up on fruits, veggies, and whole grains.
- Added sugars: Sugar is added to everything these days! Even foods you wouldn’t expect like soups, sauces, yogurt, and ketchup. Watch out for high levels of added sugar in the foods you add to your cart.
- Sodium: Keep those sodium levels low by skipping the pre-packaged or frozen foods and making your meals fresh instead.
Need more inspiration? Check out these nine heart-healthy recipes and 11 tips for making healthier choices while dining out.
6. Kick Out Sugar
This spring, say goodbye to a diet high in sugar! This doesn’t mean you should go cold turkey and cut all sugar from your life. That’s not realistic or recommended! But rather, start noticing how much sugar you eat in a day.
- How much sugar is in your cereal?
- Do you add sugar to your coffee or tea?
- Do you munch on cookies or high-sugar snacks throughout your day?
- Are you a soda drinker? Or a fan of energy drinks or other sugar-sweetened beverages?
- Do you enjoy a sugar-filled dessert after dinner most nights
Sugar isn’t bad for you in moderation. But if you’re noticing a high sugar intake it might be time to cut back.
Start small like replacing your soda with a low-sugar seltzer, adding a zero or low-sugar substitute to your coffee, or opting for a yummy but healthy smoothie instead of a bowl of ice cream. Make one change at a time until eventually, you lessen both your sugar habits and your sugar dependency.
7. Upgrade to Healthier Hydration
Speaking of sugar-sweetened beverages, they account for more than 24% of all added sugars in the American diet. So one of the healthiest swaps you can make this spring is to upgrade your soda, energy drink, or high-sugar beverage to something healthier.
Here are some low-sugar hydration options to try:
- Seltzer or sparkling water
- Fruit-infused water
- Low-sugar tea
- Coconut water
- Homemade lemonade (using a natural sweetener instead of sugar!)
- Or try one of these refreshing drink recipes that are perfect for staying hydrated in the warmer weather!
Cutting out sugar and opting for more H2O comes with a ton of health benefits too. Like more focus, better energy, healthier digestion, and easier weight loss or maintenance. Plus it keeps you from experiencing dehydration in the hotter spring and summer months.
Spring Clean Your Routine
8. Get Outside
Soak in vitamin D by finding more time in your day to get outside! Eat your breakfast outdoors, go for a walk in the afternoon, or meet up with friends for a casual bike ride. You’ll find that by spending more time soaking in the sun’s rays (while wearing sunscreen of course!) your mood and energy levels will vastly improve.
Not only that but spending more time outdoors encourages a more active lifestyle. So instead of watching TV on the couch, you’re moving your body by going for a hike, strapping on the rollerblades, or taking your dog for a walk.
9. Set a New Goal for the Summer
During the winter months, you might have been spending a lot of time thinking about all the things you want to do when the weather gets nicer. So this spring, turn those wishes into reality!
Write down your goals for the spring and summer months. What do you want to do? What do you want to accomplish? Now’s the perfect time to start tackling those projects or goals you’ve been thinking about.
Once you’ve written down all the things you want to do, start making time in your schedule to tackle them one by one. Start small and you’ll build confidence along the way as you start crossing things off your list.
10. Make Exercise Fun
Spring is a great time to start being more active because the warmer weather makes it that much easier to get your body moving. Instead of feeling stuck inside, now you have the great outdoors as your gym!
Here are a few fun spring & summer workout ideas to try:
- Join a local sports league to try your hand at kickball or soccer!
- Go for a run (or a walk!) around your block
- Invite your friends out for a casual hike and picnic
- Take the bike out for a spin
- Buy rollerblades or rollerskates and cruise around your neighborhood
- Break a sweat gardening
- Roll out your yoga mat on the grass for a sunny namaste session!
It doesn’t matter what you choose. As long as you’re outside having fun and moving your body, that’s what matters!
11. Create Empowering Rituals
It’s easier to implement healthy lifestyle changes when you create routines or rituals that eventually feel like second nature. For example, if you’re trying to get more sleep it’ll be easier to accomplish this goal if every night you brew up a relaxing cup of tea and cozy up with a good book. Making this an evening ritual hardwires your brain into preparing for a good night’s sleep.
If you’re trying to eat healthier, start a routine of grocery shopping and meal prepping every Sunday. Or if you’re looking to de-stress, try creating a morning ritual where you begin every day by meditating for 10 minutes. And so on! By building healthy behavior into your daily routine you create habits that are harder to break.
As part of your healthier spring routine, make sure you’re picking the best meal replacement shake that fits your needs. Check out our in-depth reviews of the top meal replacement shakes right now, including our #1 rated powder, 310 Shake. And head to our blog for even more tips and suggestions for your health journey!
