Spring, one of the most beautiful times of the year, brings with it new beginnings and transformation. It symbolizes a fresh start.
In the south, where I am located, spring also brings with it an abundance of pollen followed by beautiful hues of green, yellow, pink, and white seen in the new buds, flowers and leaves. This morning I headed outside to attend to our outdoor areas and furnishings in preparation for my spring decorating.
After being tucked away for the winter, with the exception of my daily walks, I thoroughly enjoyed the fresh air, the chirping of the birds who keep me company year-round, and the fresh smell in the air.
Spring cleaning is one of the ways I transition from winter to spring. Spring nesting brings me joy. Creating a clean and organized home is crucial to your overall physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. Creating a home that makes us feel safe, happy, joyful, and loved provides us with feelings of comfort. It also makes us feel empowered, energetic, and relaxed.
Sitting back and enjoying the labor of your love after a day of organizing and cleaning your home is a wonderful feeling. I often suggest to my granddaughter that “we take time to enjoy our hard work and what we’ve accomplished.” She loves when we do this. Even my grandson loves to putter around with his little broom in hand. We do this when we paint or sew as well! There is such a wonderful feeling of satisfaction. Even the cup of tea after a hard days work somehow tastes better, doesn’t it? A clean and healthy environment reduces stress and provides us with the peace and optimal wellness similar to eating nutrient-dense, healthy foods.
We are all bio-individuals, and so our homes should reflect us and what makes us feel happy and safe. Here are some things to consider when creating a positive space:
1) Start a journal: How does your current space make you feel? Write your feelings down in a journal if you find that helpful.
2) Think about what your ideal home environment would look like. Use images, scents, and sounds to describe your ideal environment. You can even create a “vision board” to help you create a space that brings you comfort, peace, and happiness.
3) Recognize how your home can help your optimal health. Just like a detox can positively affect your body, a home detox can be advantageous as well. You can support your physical and emotional health by donating things like clothing or other items that no longer serve you. Decluttering your home frees you from things that are unnecessarily taking up valuable space and energy. Releasing items can provide you with relief and feelings of balance and lightness. These positive feelings can affect other areas of your life as well.
4) Breathe deeply: Try to improve the air quality in your home. Clean air is very important to your overall health. Opening the windows is very helpful and air purifiers like Rabbit Air or whole house air purifiers make an immense difference in the air quality in your home. Air purifiers help you breathe easily, remove toxins and viruses, and keep your home smelling clean and fresh. You can also bring in air-cleaning indoor plants such as bird’s nest fern, bamboo palm, spider plant, and aloe vera. Aloe is also great for cuts and burns.
The clean air in your home will also make breathing meditations more enjoyable and beneficial. Daily breathing exercises help us to become more joyful, less fearful, and more balanced. Meditation and prayer helps to create more clarity and improves decision-making skills.
5) Plant an herb garden: An educational and rewarding pastime, especially if done with your partner, children or grandchildren, an herb garden provides you with an activity that is fun, saves you money, relieves stress, and provides you with beneficial and delicious herbs full of nutrients. You can also bless your family, friends, and neighbors by sharing your wealth!
6) Enjoy nature: Set up a bird feeding station in your yard and be sure to have seating so that you can watch your feathered friends. Birdwatching and spending time in nature helps us to calm our sympathetic nervous systems, or the “fight or flight” instinct, which will help us reduce stress. 7) Keep moving: Enjoy nature by getting out for a daily walk. The morning sun is a wonderful time to get outside.. Our bodies do not have the ability to make vitamin D. Vitamin D is linked to cholesterol because we need cholesterol in our skins cells to make vitamin D from sunlight. The vitamin D is later transformed again in the liver and kidneys, but cholesterol is needed for the first step. You should avoid taking a shower after being outside in the sun. It takes time for the vitamin D to be absorbed. 8) Plan a day trip or weekend getaway: Taking advantage and enjoying the beautiful spring weather by taking a day trip will ultimately lead to reduced stress.
9) Seasonal eating: Plan a weekly trip to your local farmers market. The best ways to enjoy fruits and vegetables is by purchasing those that are local and in season rather than those that have traveled for days before getting on your plate. In addition to the health benefits, purchasing local fruits and vegetables supports local farmers and your community’s economy. Organic fruits and vegetables are typically more affordable when purchased locally as well.
10) Get creative in the kitchen: Create a new seasonal menu featuring the beautiful fruits and vegetables you purchased at your local farmer’s market! Some ideas would be an asparagus frittata, creamy organic strawberry smoothie with flaxseed and yogurt, or a salad with arugula, apples, and herbs.
Not sure which organic fruits and vegetables are best for your health? The EWG, or the Environmental Working Group, created the Dirty Dozen list for us to help protect our families from pesticides. They also created the Clean Fifteen list featuring fruits and vegetables that are low in pesticides.
Here’s to renewal, rejuvenation, and relaxation!
Be well! Elise xo
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