Wellness

How to Spring Clean Your Wellness Routine

Cleanse your mind, body, and space!

By: Lexy Parsons

After a long, cold winter, it’s only natural to feel a bit uninspired and out of sync with our wellness routines. However, with spring in bloom, there’s no better time to revitalize our health habits and set the stage for a season of growth and renewal! And just so you know, you don’t have to be in a fitness rut to do this. Even if you’re crushing your goals, revamping your wellness routine (or, at the very least, checking in with your goals) at the start of every season is a great habit to get into. Aside from the new, refreshing energy that comes with every season, taking inventory of your mind, body, and habits once every three months (as the seasons change) gives you enough time to make progress and notice change without letting too much time go by. 

With this in mind, spring is in the air! Read on to learn how to spring clean your wellness routine for the healthiest spring yet.

Spring Clean Your Workout Routine

Take It Outdoors

Exercising in nature has proven to be extremely beneficial for our mental well-being, with studies showing that spending time outdoors can reduce stress and anxiety — all thanks to the combination of fresh air, natural scenery, and exposure to sunlight! Take advantage of those longer days and warmer weather by taking your workouts outdoors! 

Maybe it’s a brisk morning run, a weekend bike ride to your favorite coffee shop, or a post-dinner walk around the block with your puppy or partner. After a long winter, embracing nature and the fresh air is a great way to break your fitness plateau and keep you feeling fresh and energized.

Swap Out Your Winter Wardrobe

Need some motivation to get back on track with your workouts? A wardrobe revamp always does the trick! Whether you treat yourself to some new pieces or break out your spring workout selects from hiding, introducing new outfits into the rotation can help you get excited about scheduling that workout. Plus, this is a great opportunity to go through your old clothes and donate anything that no longer serves you. You’ll have more space to see what you have, and you’ll be giving back to someone in need!

Revamp Your Workout Space

While you’re organizing your closet, give your workout space a reset, too! Even if you don’t have a designated home gym or workout area, organizing your equipment or gear can make all the difference. Maybe you buy some cute baskets for your resistance bands, sliders, and ankle weights, or maybe you organize your yoga mat and dumbbells. And if you don’t have a home area for workouts, maybe this is your sign to make one!

RELATED: These At-Home Fitness Accessories Have Over 200 5-Star Reviews

Create New Fitness Goals

Spring cleaning your wellness routine is the perfect opportunity to check in with your progress and create new goals. What’s working for you? Where are you stagnant or struggling? What areas could you use support? Based on your answers, form new (realistic) goals for the upcoming spring season. This could be a total revamp of your current goals, or a simple switch-up!

Spring Clean Your Diet

Eat With The Spring Season

Eating with the season means fresher, more nutrient-packed picks that are locally grown and more sustainable. And needless to say, when purchased from a local farmer or enjoyed in season, your food will be a lot tastier, too! 

Head to the local farmers market and fill up on spring picks! Fill your fridge and counter with foods such as: 

  • Strawberries
  • Kiwi
  • Lemons
  • Pineapple
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Spinach
  • Kale

Use Your Seasonal Picks For Spring-Inspired Meal Prep

Save time, money, and stress by setting aside time for healthy weekly meal prep. Meal prep makes it easy to stay on track with your health and fitness goals — especially during busy weeks when you don’t feel like cooking. If you’re utilizing seasonal foods, keep your dishes spring-inspired with light and fresh meals.

RELATED: 14 Refreshing Recipes to Try This Spring

Do a Pantry Cleanout

Aside from tidying your space, cleaning out your pantry is a great way to see what you have. Use those canned chickpeas for homemade hummus, flavor your veggie dishes with spices you never use, or meal-prep a big batch of veggie soup with fresh spring veggies and that leftover broth.

RELATED: Pantry And Shopping List Makeover For Beginners

Up Your Hydration Game

With increased movement and more time spent outdoors in the sun, upping your water intake is key. In addition to preventing dehydration, adequate fluid intake helps rev your metabolism, support weight loss, boost mood and energy, and support brain health. Sick of plain old water? Try boosting your intake of water-rich foods and trying these hydrating drinks!

Spring Clean Your Stress Hacks 

Meditate More!

There’s no better way to spring clean the mind than meditation. Think: out with the old thoughts, in with the new. Meditation can help us overcome negative thought patterns, push past feelings of stagnation, and help us feel more grounded and less stressed — especially as the season starts to get busy.

Here are some meditations to try:

Give Breathwork a Try

New 2023 research shows breathing techniques (specifically, cyclical sighing) is an excellent way to help reduce stress. According to the study, cyclic sighing — which emphasizes prolonged exhales — led to the greatest improvements in mood and stress reduction. Best of all, the technique is simple! 

To start, inhale two consecutive breaths without exhaling (until your lungs are maximally filled). Then, slowly exhale until your lungs are empty. Repeat this breathing pattern for five minutes.

Declutter Your Space

Physically cleaning your space can do wonders for the mind. For starters, research shows a cluttered space leads to a cluttered mind. From increasing feelings of stress, anxiety, and even depression, an unorganized and overcrowded home can make it hard to focus and lead to feelings of overwhelm. We’re not saying you have to organize your house from top-to-bottom (unless you want to). Simply, make it a goal to tackle one area (like your car, desk, or kitchen junk drawer). Plus, if you’re not a fan of tidying up, you’ll be happy to know cleaning burns calories! You could burn anywhere from 100 to 350 calories per hour — not bad.

Spring Clean Your Sleep Habits

Make Sure Social Hour Isn’t Cutting Into Sleep Hour

After an introverted winter, we’re eager to socialize and hit the town. And even if alcohol isn’t involved, we’re likely staying out later and, as a consequence, getting to bed later. But remember: sleep deprivation can be costly for our health! Try to maintain a regular sleep pattern, and at the very least, try to average 8 hours of sleep per night.

RELATED: Science Says Not Getting Enough Sleep is a Threat to Your Health: What You Need to Know

Embrace the Morning Sunshine

Getting 10 minutes of morning sunlight is one of the best things we can do for our sleep health. It helps regulate our circadian rhythm (our sleep-wake cycle), plus it keeps us feeling alert and energized. It’s as simple as taking your meditation outdoors, sipping your coffee in the sunshine, or going for a brief morning stroll!

Spring Forward With Ease

With a little preparation, spring into daylight saving time with ease! As best as you can, try to keep your sleep schedule consistent to support your circadian rhythm. Your sleep environment matters, too! Keep it cool, dark, and quiet. And if you really want to make the time change transition easier, start your evening routine a few minutes earlier in the week or two leading up to the start of daylight saving time.

Spring Clean Your Self-Care Routine

Schedule In Time For You (Daily!)

As warmer weather hits, our spring schedules get busy. But, that doesn’t mean you need to commit to anything and everything. Whether it’s a studio yoga class, an uninterrupted meditation, or a DIY facemask while listening to a podcast, make sure you’re scheduling time for you! 

Take a Staycation 

Speaking of ‘you’ time — take a spring stay-cation (or vacation). Maybe you schedule a girls’ trip to a local wellness spa, book a yoga retreat, or treat yourself to a massage or acupuncture session. No matter how big or small, it can be a powerful way to recharge, rest, and relax as we transition from winter to spring!

RELATED: The Top Wellness-Focused Spring Travel Destinations

Give Your Lungs Some Love

Open up the windows and doors, use an air purifier to remove any debris and toxins from the air, and invite in fresh spring air! You can also try diffusing mood and immune-boosting essential oils like eucalyptus, lemon, grapefruit, and peppermint!

Refresh Your Spring Skincare Routine

Often confused for self-indulgence, skin care is definitely self-care. It’s the perfect way to nourish your body as you carve out time for yourself. Aside from enjoying the benefits of a soothing and stress-free environment, our daily skincare routine can prevent early signs of aging and provide us with the opportunity to check in with our bodies. In fact, your outer skin is often a reflection of what’s happening inside your body. Experiencing a breakout? You may need to reduce inflammation and up your hydration. Feeling tension or tightness in your neck or jaw? Maybe some yoga, meditation, or journaling is calling your name.

This is a great opportunity to revamp your products, too! Make sure you’re adding a daily SPF into the mix, and try switching to a lighter-weight moisturizer now that the dry, windy winter is behind us.

RELATED: 30-Day Glowing Skin Challenge

Hit the Refresh Button On Your Spring Wellness Routine

Known to be a season for all things new and fresh, Spring is the perfect time to revamp your wellness routine and revitalize your energy after a long winter. Whether you refresh your fitness goals, fill up on fresh seasonal foods, or deeply cleanse your spring skincare regime, these simple hacks can help you start the season feeling strong and motivated. And if you’re not where you hoped to be, that’s okay! Rather than throwing in the towel, try hitting the reset button by giving these health hacks a try.