Summary: This article will outline six different ways to thoroughly “clean up” your mind, body, and spirit. Packaged as a short, one-week program (with one tip per day, and one day of rest), readers will feel wholly refreshed and revitalized and ready to take on the next quarter of the year! Tips will include: write it out, donate your time, create a ritual, take a nap, and more!
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I imagine you don’t have a lot of spare time.
We all live busy, full lives . . .filled with passions, pursuits, and obligations.
Successful careers.
Close family.
Connected romantic partnerships . . . and more!
These are all good things! Busy can be beautiful when it’s ambitious, intentional, and purposeful. But even when we’re “beautifully busy”, it can be easy to get caught up; to lose focus. To slip on the practices that keep our minds, bodies, and spirits sharp.
Perhaps your attendance at the gym goes down to once a week.
Maybe you haven’t spent quality time with your partner in months.
You might not have even had a chance to connect with yourself, and make sure all of this intentional and purposeful ambition is still leading you down the path you want to travel.
Each new season offers an opportunity to slow down, reflect, and clean up our (internal and external) spaces. And Spring—with it’s unique position after a long Winter hibernation—is uniquely and perfectly-timed for a quick mind, body, and spirit tune-up.
Ready to refresh and renew yourself and your routine with a few short actions in just one week? If you’re looking to spring clean your mind, body, and spirit, start with these simple daily tips:
Monday
Mind: Write It Out
Illustration Credit: Chloé Bulpin
Write out everything that’s in your head.
That’s right. I want you to set a timer for 10 minutes, grab a blank sheet of paper, and write it all out. Write down the tasks you need to do, write down the conversations you need to have, write down things you’re worried about, things you’re scared of, things you’re grateful for; whatever it is that’s been spinning around in your head, write it down and get it out of there.
The longer you spend ruminating on something, the more likely it is to turn to worry and then stress. But once you write it down, you can make a plan of action (e.g., “I’ll take care of this on Thursday” or “I’ll revisit this in August”), and clear space in your brain for something new!
Tuesday
Body: Take a Walk
Find time in your busy day to get up out of your chair and go for a walk.
It might be a walk around the block or a walk around the conference room. If you have even more daytime flexibility, perhaps you might go for a hike with a friend or or run around the park with your dog.
Whatever you do, reintroduce (or reinforce!) movement in your daily routine. Your body (and your brain) will thank you.
Wednesday
Spirit: Donate Your Time
Spend some time doing something for somebody else today—no questions asked and no favor required in return.
It’s wonderful to donate money to charity or to a friend in need, but investing your time, energy, and attention can often be more impactful, both for you and the person you’re serving.
Uplift your spirit by setting aside time to make that investment for someone else!
Thursday
Mind: Meditate
If you haven’t already, kickstart your meditation practice. Start with just five minutes, if it’s new to you, and work your way up. I love Calm.com.
The best part? You can do this one anywhere—on the train, at your desk, or even lying in bed before your feet hit the floor. Just close your eyes and breathe, letting your thoughts flow by like clouds.
The longer you spend in meditation, the less quickly the thoughts will come and the more likely you’ll be to reach pure bliss! And isn’t that what we’re all after anyway?
Friday
Body: Take a Nap
There’s no question that our busy lifestyles often contribute to getting less sleep than we so desperately need. Today, take a short, 20-minute nap during the day.
Whether at home, in your cubicle, or in the comfort of your car, find a comfortable space to close your eyes and recharge.
(Or better yet, skip going out tonight and go to bed early!)
Saturday
Spirit: Create a Ritual
Looking for a way to reconnect with yourself—or your spirituality?
Create an ongoing ritual that’s unique to you. Some people pray, some light candles; others build altars and still others pull cards. And, for some, a ritual can be as easy as cleaning the house or sitting down with a good book.
There are myriad ways to connect with God, with the Universe, with your guides, with yourself—find the way that works best for you, and create a fun and loving ritual out of it.
Then come back to that ritual whenever you need to reconnect!
Sunday
Mind, Body, and Spirit: Take a break!
Today, do whatever feels best for you: rest, recharge, reconnect with friends or yourself. You deserve it.
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Try these tips on for one week or several! You’ll feel relaxed and reconnected, and more ready to show up for the fullness of life after a week of “spring cleaning”.
A version of this post originally appeared on MindBodyGreen, with illustrations from Chloé Bulpin / mbg creative
Dr. Dowling has spent years helping people live richer, more joyful lives. She has seen firsthand the magical pairing of psychology and life coaching, which allows people to access their happiest selves.
View Dr. Dowling's articles on Mindbodygreen
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I really love this! It’s so doable. I think I’ll print it out in color, and tack up the cute images as reminders. Excited to share this…