You know when it’s time to do a clean out when the cupboard doors just don’t quite shut anymore, similarly you know when it’s time to do a clean out when your jeans don’t quite zip up and you know when it’s time to do a clean out when your mind doesn’t quite shut down and is working against you.

Spring is a great time to de-clutter your life on a physical, mental and environmental level.

However I’m not sure a gung-ho, all in approach is the best kind. I’m more of a fan of a subtle, slow and maintainable pace of detoxifying.

So lets start with the home. Best approach, one cupboard at a time. One drawer at a time. One pile at a time. Allocate 30 minutes each day to one small and manageable task. Put on some great music and get it done. Tick it off and feel fabulous. Donate to Vinnies, give to friends, recycle or revamp. But get it out of your space.

With the body, approach in a similar manner. Choose one habit that isn’t serving you anymore and focus on that for a full week. So say caffeine, slowly reduce your consumption over a couple of days and then try and have 4-5 full days completely caffeine free (this includes coffee, tea and chocolate). Then the following week choose alcohol, then refined sugars, then dairy, then gluten and then any other food groups that you are concerned about.

Perhaps you will choose to continue the new habit from the previous week, so by the time you are up to gluten, you’ve been off coffee for 4 weeks. Go You! Perhaps you won't. This isn't an excuse to self punish. It's an excuse to make some positive changes.

This gentle style of clearing out your old food habits will also enable you to be more aware of what is really affecting you as you’re not cutting it all out at once. So, for example, the week you start to cut out dairy you notice that you’re not holding onto as much fluid, are less congested, skin clearer etc so then you know dairy isn’t the best thing for your body at the moment and this is something you’d like to maintain long term.

You may also like to choose to add a new positive habit for your health each week. Is it starting the day with half a lemon squeezed into warm water. Is it adding in yoga or some sort of restorative movement each day. Perhaps it’s drinking lots of pure clean water or daily self massage to release toxins and tensions.

Meditation? Movement? Massage?

Mind wise, choose a belief system that is holding you back. Some common ones I’ve found are;

I’m not good enough
No one will like me
What if…
I don’t have time
I won’t make enough money
I’m fat and ugly
I too tired
I’m too busy
Change/ the Unknown is scary

Replace it with a positive. For example;

I am good enough
I like/love myself exactly as I am
Why not?
It’s worth a try
My body is healthy, strong and beautiful
I am unique
Energy flows freely through me and is available as needed
I choose to…

So every time one of the negative beliefs come up, replace it with a positive. It will take constant reminding at first, but it may just be worth the effort. Feel the emotions that come up from this. Accept and acknowledge whatever they are. No judgement.

Make a pact with yourself and stick to it. Be accountable to yourself in a positive and loving manner. Know that it will be worth it. Human Beings are designed to be constantly moving and changing. It’s when we get stuck in habits, belief systems and our environment that imbalance arises.

ENJOY this newfound SPRING in your life