The spring season is known for April showers, May flowers, and the fresh start that spring cleaning brings. If you’re looking for some tips and tricks on how to kick off this time of year with a clean slate, here’s a list that will take you from winter chills to summer freedom.
1. Clear Out Your Backpack
With a brand new marking period beginning with the season, now is a perfect time to get your workspace organized. While a backpack full of crumpled up papers and old candy wrappers may seem daunting, it can be made simple through a few steps. Instead of dumping out the contents of your bag, pull each folder, binder, and notebook out one by one, then you can see the trash stuck to the bottom. This will allow you to go through any loose papers and throw away all of the things you don’t need to keep. Sort the useful papers into your folders or binders, and that’s it! Doesn’t seem so difficult after all, does it?
2. Set a Limit on Screen Time
I’m sure some of us are scared to check our screen time spent on our devices, so with the wonderful weather spring brings along, now is a great chance to go outside rather than stare at a phone. Setting screen time limits can make a huge difference; even if just for an hour a day, you’ve put the phone away. If those limits seem too much, putting your device in a drawer or somewhere out of sight and turning off the notifications can work just the same. The constant ding from a text message or update can distract you from the world around you, so silencing them helps you focus.
3. Freshen Up Your Wardrobe
Hidden in the back of your closet could be old shirts that don’t fit anymore or your favorite pairs of jeans you forgot about. Sort through the fabric and pick out the things you don’t want anymore, and be brutal. If you’re not going to wear something, there’s no point in keeping it there and letting it take up space. Anything you don’t want to save can be donated at donation bins all over the city and go to someone who needs it more than you do. If you’re so blinded by the winter coats and sweaters that you can’t see into the back of your closet, store those things in bins or shelves until the weather decides you need them again.
4. Organize Your Playlist
Some new spring tunes can be just what you need to kick off a cheery season. We’ve all got those songs on our playlist that we just skip every time they come on, or that one catchy hit that comes on right after the breakup ballad that left you in tears. Delete the songs that you don’t listen to anymore and make separate playlists for different moods. If you’re looking for spring song recommendations, the Spotify playlist attached has some great Periscope favorites.
5. Wash Away Old Habits
Everyone has those nasty habits they just can’t kick, like biting their nails or procrastinating on homework. To bring in that fresh spring start, getting rid of these habits can be super helpful! Bad habits don’t just go away by themselves; they gradually wash away with hard work and dedication. Make a list of the bad habits you want to block and start tracking how often you do it in a day. If you want to go to bed and wake up earlier, note every time you try to stay up a bit later and write down why you did. Was it because you were overthinking? Was it to finish an assignment? Was it for a few more minutes on the game you’ve been waiting all day to play? Whatever the reason, start thinking of reactions other than your bad habit. Start journaling before bed or get your school work and game playing done earlier in the day. Before you know it, the habits will be replaced with good ones.
6. Shine in the Warmer Weather
While Pennsylvania may be unpredictable in its weather with snow in the first week of spring, the warmer weather will eventually turn up, and that’ll be the time to shine! The winter season discourages many people from getting their exercise in because of the cold weather. Not only does it limit the time you can spend outdoors, but also affects transportation to the gym and even your motivation to get up and be active. Spring’s sunny weather gives you the opportunity to go out and on a jog or even just take a walk and soak up the sun’s rays.
7. Start Dreaming of Summer
It may only be April, but before you know it, summer will be only a few school days away and you won’t know what to do with yourself. Start making your plans now before it gets too late and you don’t have enough time to get that schedule in. So when you’re daydreaming in the middle of class about the fun by the beach, take some time to plan ahead and think of the vacation schedule.
Getting through the last few months of the school year can be a challenge, especially with the nice weather coming on and burn-out from the past marking periods. Having some tricks up your sleeve to freshen up for the rest of the season can help you make your way to summer!
