Although it may not feel like it, spring is less than a month away!
There are few times during the year when a “fresh start” feels appropriate. There’s the excitement of new school supplies, clothing and planners in September, the thrill of the new and unknown in January, and of course, the giddy excitement for warmer weather in March.
This fresh start can seem particularly daunting, because there is much to get ready to kick start your spring and summer off right!
Without further ado, here is a guide to your best spring clean
- Declutter virtually
We don’t think about the stress that emails, messages, newsletters and social media can bring on, but cyber clutter is a thing, and it may be weighing you down. Studies have linked over exposure to social media with depression and anxiety. Moreover, with the average Canadian spending over seven hours in front of a screen each day, it’s no wonder some of us get stressed by what we are continuously exposed to in our inbox and on our newsfeeds.
Clean up your inbox, unfollow people that don’t bring you joy, unsubscribe from annoying promotions and newsletters, and clean up your computers. Sort and backup documents and pictures.
- Give, toss, keep
The classic give, toss, keep is a great way to make some room in your room, wardrobe, and home. Try not to become attached to too many things. Have you used this or worn this in the past year? If the answer is no, toss or donate. Invite friends over so they can help you be merciless, and hold you accountable.
- Taxes and papers
Spring is tax season. Be sure to be on top of your game with your taxes. Assemble all your T4 slips, and any other relevant documents to do your taxes. If you have an accountant, give your documents to them ASAP. If you do it yourself, good for you!
As you declutter and sort a year’s worth of school papers, documents and bills, it may also be a good time to sign up for any automatic payment service you can. In 2017, paper doesn’t have to be a source of stress anymore.
- Send out check-ins and updates with friends and family
Take a day or half a day over the next few weeks to send a few notes, texts, calls, or even some snail mail to some friends or people you have been meaning to get back in touch with! This way, by the time you correspond a bit back and forth, school will be out, and you might finally be able to have a social life and link up with them!
- Use up your food
If you live alone, chances are you have some old bags of rice lying around in your pantry. You might also have some cans of soup, some frozen meals, and some granola. In the coming weeks, try to incorporate everything from your pantry, fridge and freezer into your meals. You will be able to polish off your reserves and start fresh, as well as save some money for a few weeks.