The world is thawing, the snow is melting, and the days are getting longer. You know what that means, it’s springtime! Now is the season for new beginnings after the long winter–you’re probably already getting your spring cleaning to-do list put together!
But before you work on beautifying your space, consider a little springtime self-care to shake off the last of the winter blues and get ready for sunny days ahead. If you don’t already have a self-care routine down pat, here are a few ways to get started on feeling your best and blooming with the season.
1. Get Your Alignments Right
Raise your hand if you’re guilty of spending a little too much time this winter curled up on the couch with Netflix. Before you jump into a new fitness routine or get back to your favorite outdoor activities, it’s a good idea to make sure your back is in tip-top shape. Pay a visit to your local chiropractor for an alignment that you didn’t even know you needed–it might even be covered by your insurance!
If you want to take your alignment to the next level, make a whole day of wellness-focused activities. After your chiropractor visit, find a spa or even spend a few hours in a salt cave for a whole-body alignment that will feed your mind and soul as well!
2. Give Your Wardrobe A Refresh
Spring cleaning can definitely be a form of self-care, and that extends to your closet. Take a good look through your clothes, deciding what to keep and what to get rid of. For those of us who have a little bit of a fashion hoarding problem, the Konmari method is a great way to decide if you should really keep that top you loved but never wore.
Once you’ve passed off the items that you don’t want, you have our full permission to do a little shopping. But this spring, rather than going with the latest styles, consider taking a look at thrift shops or other second-hand vendors to find the clothes that make you the happiest. A full style overhaul could be just the thing you need to start spring right.
3. Update Your Beauty Routine
We’re already saying goodbye to the dry, cold winds of winter, which means it might be time to cycle through your beauty products. Start transitioning to lighter moisturizers and slightly more intensive cleansers to fight sweat and oil from the warmer weather. You might also want to update your color palette, going from the dark jewel tones of winter to the pastels of spring.
It’s also a great time to take a look at the steps of your beauty routine and see if it’s giving you the results you want. If you haven’t already, find out what skin type you have (Oily, dry, or combination) and look into what products and practices work best to give you radiant, beautiful skin you’ll love. Whether you decide that short and simple works best for you or a fully 14-step K-beauty-inspired ritual is your jam, these are key parts of daily self-care!
4. Add A New Routine To Your Day
Spring is a time that’s full of possibilities, and that makes it extra motivating for people to add a new routine in their current rotation. Take a look at your current routine (if you have one, of course), and see what you’re doing every day. Then, think about what you WANT to do every day, whether that’s adding a daily element of self-care or doing something a little different to make your daily tasks a little easier.
There’s no limits to what new routines you could add. You can do something like starting to keep a journal (no, you don’t need to wait for New Year for that!) or doing all the dishes in your sink before bed. It can be as ambitious as starting a brand new workout routine every morning, or as simple as giving yourself a half-hour in the afternoon to enjoy a cup of tea. If it makes your life better, it’s a routine worth adding!
5. Pick Up A New Hobby
An unsung hero of self-care is teaching yourself new skills. Learning new things keeps our brains sharp, and it can give you an excellent new activity to do when you start feeling bored. Whether you learn from YouTube or start taking classes at your local rec center, the sky’s the limit on what you can learn!
Think about something you’ve always been interested in, or something that you’ve wanted to learn for a while. Maybe you’ve wanted to start making your own clothes, so you sign up for a class on how to use a sewing machine. Or you’ve wanted to really improve your writing, so you join a writing group to share your work. Coding, tea leaf reading, crocheting, gardening–you’re fully capable of any new hobby you want to pick up, and now’s the time to do it!
Spring is a time of renewal that’s full of possibilities. This year, though, before you turn your attention to your home or garden, look inward first and find the ways you can bloom into the best version of yourself. Your future self will thank you, and you’ll be able to enjoy blossoming just like the flowers of spring!
