Spring Clean Your Life
- first published in Portslade Pages, March 2007

Spring is traditionally known as a time of new starts, potential, renewal of life and energy and of course the annual clean up and clear out. We all know how good it feels to wake up from the winter hibernation, to feel ourselves coming alive again and how energising it feels to clear out the old and make way for the new. We do this with our house, garden and belongings but we don’t seem to do it for ourselves. So why not this spring give yourself a fresh start by cleaning up your life? Spend some time reassessing key areas of your life and make a commitment to make them better.

So what are these key areas and what can you do about them?

Relationships – Relationships with partners, family and friends can give you much joy but as you know they can also cause anxiety and unhappiness. How is your relationship with your partner? When was the last time you spent quality time together, properly talked about your life and plans and ironed out those little niggles that have been bubbling under the surface? The number 1 reason why relationships go sour is a lack of communication, so make a commitment to start being together more and enjoy it. Now what about your relationships with others? Are there people you spend time with who are negative, who pull you down and bad mouth others? Ask yourself do you really want to be with these people and how do they make you feel about yourself? They could be transferring their anger, resentment or frustration on to you leaving you feeling low and tired. You may want to make some changes in this area of your life by seeing these people less and spending more time with those who make you feel good about yourself.

Work – If you are unhappy at work don’t sit around moping and whinging about it, decide what action you need to take and start making plans. Ask yourself, do I need a new challenge, do I need to improve relationships with my colleagues or boss, or have I become bored and need to put a little more effort in? You may find the answer is simply to move on and find a new job. It is so easy to be come stale in a job but it’s even easier to stay and be unhappy rather than moving out of your comfort zone and taking a risk. Go on, give it a go and who knows where it might take you!

Health & Fitness – Spring is a perfect time to reassess your eating, exercise, sleeping patterns and general wellbeing. Be honest with yourself, could it be better? Why not make an appointment or see a Dr or health professional to deal with that niggling issue, look at your fruit and veg intake and ask yourself are you really doing enough exercise. Even 20 minutes walking a day is better than nothing and is a great start. You look after your car, clean and service it, take it out, mend it when it’s broken and give it the fuel it needs for optimum performance. So why don’t you do the same for yourself, you surely don’t value your car more than your own health?

Bad Habits – Have your New Year’s resolutions for stopping smoking, spending, drinking and eating less gone by the way side? Well don’t beat yourself up you are not the only one! Just start again and promise yourself to give it another go and this time consider what has been stopping you since the beginning of January. Choose 1 bad habit to focus on and tell yourself you are worth investing time and effort into make a positive change. Bad habits can affect you in 2 ways; they tend to damage your health or wallet in some way, but they can also drag you down emotionally as you criticise yourself for continuing with them when you feel you ought to stop. This way you can tackle 2 problems in one!

Your Mind – You probably don’t think about how the negative thoughts you have affect you but they can make you feel as low and sluggish as a bad lifestyle. Unresolved issues can weigh you down and can lead to low self esteem and even depression. Use this time of renewal to cleanse your thoughts, replace the negative with positive and tackle any issues which are causing you concern or stress. If you need help in doing this there are a number of professional people who can support you.

Remember, small changes make a big difference so don’t put it off, choose 1 thing to change and get working on it. And as its spring get outdoors and enjoy the fresh air and the feeling it gives! Recall what you did as a child and do it again, being outdoors and having fun is freeing and helps to release us from the shackles of day to day living.

Change Works Unlimited is a Stress Management and Career Development Centre based in Portslade providing a range of individual and group services. For further information about 121 sessions or self development workshops visit our website: www.changeworksunlimited.co.uk or contact Clair Wavell on 01273 299537.