Spring Clean Your Wellness Routine: Small Shifts for Big Impact

Have you ever looked in your closet and saw a shirt from high school that you literally haven't worn in 15 years...but there it sits just taking up space because... you're being sentimental? Forgetting it's there? It's just always been there? You don't even like it, but you're so used to it being there that you just leave it even though it's taking up space. You don't even have that many memories tied to it. It's just a space taker.

You think to yourself "I really need to just get rid of that shirt. I really don't want it." And maybe you even take it out of the closet intending to put it in the donate pile or toss it in the trash, but somehow you get distracted, and it gets hung up again at some point or finds a new home in a dresser drawer only to spring forth to be considered once again in a month or two.

Just like that shirt, some of your daily habits are taking up space in your life—not because they actually do anything for you, but because they seem to just have always been there. Like when you stay up scrolling on your phone too late or have that third cup of coffee that makes you jittery AF. You probably don’t even like them, but they’re comfy, familiar, and easy to ignore… until they’re suddenly causing chaos (hello, lack of sleep and 3rd cup of coffee anxiety spiral).

Let's ACTUALLY change up those small unhelpful habits that are having a bigger impact than you realize rather than letting them jump back up at you every few months like that shirt from high school.

Spring is the perfect time for this. We tend to do spring cleaning in our homes washing away winter and decluttering the ick of cold dark days that never seemed to end. Opening windows to let in sunlight and fresh air, planting seeds in our gardens, getting rid of things that aren't needed. So, let's spring clean your wellness routine and make some small shifts that will have a big impact.

I'm going to list out some unhelpful habits in a few different categories and then give you some ideas on how to chuck them and create healthier habits that reduce anxiety and stress, build your resilience, and improve your wellness overall.

SLEEP

Instead of staying up late doomscrolling try...

• Setting a "stop scrolling" alarm and move on to your wind down routine like reading or journaling

• Combining scrolling with getting ready for the next day and stop once you have everything set to go

Instead of snoozing your alarm repeatedly...

• Set it for the time you actually get up and stop impacting your sleep by waking yourself up 5 times

• Look at the night before and see if the real issue is the first bad habit we addressed (or something else)

Instead of just hoping to get good sleep try...

• Optimizing your sleep environment by making sure the temperature and lighting is ideal for you

• Creating an intentional nighttime routine to relax you into sleep

NUTRITION

Instead of chugging coffee throughout the day trying to grasp for what energy you can try...

• Making sure you're getting enough good quality sleep at night (you already know how to work on that!)

• Eating food high in protein, fiber, and healthy fats to help fuel your body and give you lasting energy

Instead of skipping meals all day and then bingeing at night try...

• Planning meals ahead so you can eat through the day and not feel so hangry when you get home

• Pack yourself a protein smoothie so even if you're super busy you can still have something healthy (yes you do have time to drink)

Instead of relying on quick snacks and packaged foods try...

• Prepping snacks with high fiber and protein that will nourish you better and keep you full longer

• Taking a closer look at where your time goes and why you always feel like you need to rush through eating

ACTIVITY

Instead of skipping workouts repeatedly because you don't have an hour to go to the gym try...

• Being flexible with your workouts and doing some kind of movement even if it's just 5 minutes- it DOES matter!

• Doing a workout at home-even if home workouts aren't your favorite- because the movement still helps!

Instead of forcing yourself to do a workout you really dislike try...

• Doing a type of exercise that you enjoy (or at the least tolerate) that you can do consistently

• Changing things up because sometimes we just need a break from our normal routines- and that's okay

Instead of avoiding workout because you don't feel like you know what you're doing try...

• Going to the gym or a fitness class with a friend who can help guide you

• Hiring a personal trainer or online coach (Hey! I do this! REALLY WELL!)

PERSONAL SELF-CARE

Instead of being constantly on the move jumping from one thing to the next try...

• Taking 5 minutes (yes you DO have 5 minutes) to be mindful and get in your body- notice your toes, the chair under you, get PRESENT.

• Saying no to something that you know you really don't have the bandwidth for- it's okay.

Instead of rolling out of bed in the morning instantly at 100 mph try...

• Taking a few minutes to just breathe, journal- something to ease you into your day- even if it means getting up a few minutes earlier.

• Getting things ready the night before so you can have more ease in your mornings (This blog post could help you with this!)

  
  

Instead of telling yourself that you don't have time for self-care try...

• Keeping in mind that you aren't operating at your best when you ignore your own needs

• Remembering that tiny little self-care actions add up (just like little stressors can add up) so even a few minutes helps!

The habits we practice every day can seem like just a normal part of life regardless of how helpful or unhelpful they actually are to us. Then we struggle and we can't seem to figure out why something is so hard! If we take a step back to pay attention to what we're doing rather than mindlessly going through the day we can start to make tiny shifts that will have a big impact!

This is what I help my clients with inside my SNAP Method program. Sometimes it feels like life is running us rather than us running our own lives and it can feel impossible to break out of these stress and anxiety inducing patterns. SNAP will help you make small changes a little at a time so you can finally feel in control of your own life, reduce anxiety and stress, and be more resilient. If you'd like to know more about the SNAP Method send an email to janna@jl-wellness.com.

OH, also, go get rid of that 15 year old shirt already!