How to Refresh Your Life and Mindset This Spring

By Sophia Berger

Spring Cleaning

Spring is a time of new beginnings. The whole world seems to be saying, “Out with the old, in with the new.”

Accordingly, many of us find ourselves cleaning our homes this time of year. We go through our belongings and decide what is no longer useful or in alignment with our lives, clearing out dirt and dust along the way.

What if we took that same spirit into other areas of our lives as well?

If we dedicate hours to cleaning our living spaces without a second thought, how much more should we do that for our hearts and minds?

Taking Inventory

It’s easy to take our own assumptions, habits, and relationships for granted. After all, they’re what make up our everyday lives. But that’s exactly why they deserve our attention.

These are some helpful questions you can ask when taking stock of your headspace:

• “What are my habits?”

• “What are my core beliefs?”

• “Where am I spending my time?”

• “Who do I see the most?”

• “How have I been treating my body recently?”

Now that we’re aware of what’s occupying our time, energy, and mental space, we can better see how these elements relate to the goals we have for our lives.

• “What habits in my life no longer serve me?”

• “Which beliefs are no longer helpful or true?”

• “Are these activities worthy of my time and attention?”

• “Which relationships uplift and refresh me? Which ones make me feel drained?”

• “How does my current lifestyle make me feel?”

Turning Insight into Action

Once we’ve identified what is no longer serving us emotionally, we can decide what to do with it. 

Habits and Beliefs

Did you find a habit you want to break? Instead of trying to erase it, try to replace it, like by doing mindful crafting in place of mindless scrolling.

Changing our beliefs, though, can be particularly tricky. How can we change something that we take for granted as fact, right? But after we become aware of our assumptions, we can challenge them.

Oftentimes, beliefs may be partially or formerly true, making them harder to let go of. For example, maybe you believe, “I’ll never be able to paint like that.” Remind yourself that while it may be true that you can’t right now, there’s nothing stopping you from learning. Then, go and find evidence against that belief by proving it wrong!

Time

As we take stock of how we spend our time, we can be surprised by what we find. Maybe we thought that we really didn’t have any downtime, only to realize that we do, but we just haven’t been spending it mindfully. Once we remember that we’re in control of what we do with our time, we can redirect it towards our genuine desires.

This doesn’t mean that it’s wrong to relax or have fun! However, we want to make sure that we are putting time towards our long-term goals and not only towards activities that offer immediate gratification. Balance and intentionality are key.

Relationships

Navigating relationships is complex, but when we’re honest with ourselves, we can recognize which ones need to change or end.

Are there people in your life that you’re holding onto, even though they consistently put you down? Maybe it’s time to move on or redefine the role they play in your life.

Maybe there’s someone you can’t distance yourself from right now, making you feel like this is out of your control. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t protect your peace. Think about how you can set emotional and temporal boundaries with people that drain your joy and energy.

Equally as important, plan to spend more time with the people that lift you up. How can you deepen these relationships? We often underestimate just how enriching healthy relationships can be.

Lifestyle

Lifestyle can be notoriously difficult to change, but altering how we treat our bodies can be rooted in a place of self-love. Taking note of how different choices make you feel can be transformative over time.

Are there foods or habits you can gently let go of in this season? Is there something preventing you from getting enough sleep or exercise? Prioritize your health this spring. Maybe it’s time to take up a new kind of moving or fueling your body that feels right to you.

Planting New Seeds

Once we’ve created space by clearing away the past, we can set our intentions for what’s to come. Take time to reflect on what feels aligned to your path.

• What kind of person do you want to be in this new season? What traits do you want to cultivate?

• Is there a project or hobby that sparks your interest? Maybe a career change that’s calling you?

• Are there dreams you’ve written off because you thought they were too big or that you’re too late?

Whether spring cleaning is a regular practice for you or not, let’s take nature’s cues to refresh our lives this season, physically and mentally. Letting go of past hurts, beliefs, and habits creates the soil where new, beautiful things can begin.