Spring Clean Your Life

Ah, spring!

About mid-January, when you're piled under eight layers of sweaters, springtime seems so romantic. Flowers begin to bloom, you put away those heavy jackets and hair-ruining hats, your skin begins to hope that it will see the sun again. My life would be so. much. better. if only spring would hurry up and get here.

But let's be real: sometimes spring sucks a big one. I'm talkin' rain every other day, splashing through puddles and getting mud water all over your skirt suit, and, for the curly-headed among us, the locks are in a constant state of the frizzies. Eff you spring, and your promises of changing my life (*shakes fist toward sky*).

I'm gunna get a little yogic on y'all, so bear with me.

Spring is a time of renewal: of changing up routines, taking some new chances, opening up to new experiences and ideas. Finding where your comfort zone is (watching Netflix in your pajamas, on the couch, eating spaghetti with canned sauce) and seeing if you can get the hell out of it (line dancing at a western bar, wearing cowboy boots, after you ate the crap outta some spicy Thai food).

In the spirit of taking chances, renewing, and getting a lil' bit outta that zone of comfort, let's try some fun things to shake the winter blues out.

1. Get lost. Spring break isn't just for the college set. If you didn't get a winter vacay in, spring is a great time to get outta town and go somewhere you've never been. Drive south and warm up or drive north and get the last remnants of snow. No car? Take a bus or train to a po-dunk town in the middle of nowhere with your three best friends and have a exploring. Bonus points if you make friends with a local and tear up the dance floor at the one bar in town.

2. Clean up ye olde apartment. There's this thing called spring cleaning and it's fo' real, y'all. Sometimes, there's just a layer of haze and dust and cookie crumbs that settle on your surfaces during the fall and winter. After spending all that time indoors, trying new recipes and watching endless episodes of Breaking Bad, your apartment probably could use a swipe of the Swiffer, ifyaknowwhatimean. Spend an entire Saturday dedicated to spiffing up the place. Buy nice cleaning products and arm yourself a few days prior so you aren't dissuaded when you realize you're out of paper towels. Then, set it up in two shifts: first, getting rid of anything you no longer want and second, straight up cleaning dirt and grime off of every mother-lovin' surface.

3. Take a class. Italian, cooking, or flying, diving into a new activity can help you break out of your normal routine. If costs are prohibitively expensive to take a series, see if your local rec center has one-off classes that you can try at a lower price point. And see if you can ask for a reduced rate. Sometimes, classes that don't have enough participants will get cancelled, but if you call and tell them your situation, they might allow you to take the class at a lower cost.

4. Get fit. If you don't live in an active community like Montana and people have gear and sports to do in every season, now is the time to think about getting into the habit of getting a workout in. One piece of advice: try not to make it something you hate. Think you want a svelte running body but can't imagine getting out for more than a mile. Try yoga or dance or something else that you might actually like. It's far easier to do something that is fun for you consistently than it is to dread working out. Trust me on that one.

5. Go outside. Stop hiding. It's time. Breathe real air, see other people that aren't your roommates, maybe even touch a tree or two. It'll be the cheapest form of therapy you'll ever experience.

What are your tips for jumping into spring? Hopefully, it doesn't include buying a slew of umbrellas from CVS in anticipation for all the ones you rip through during the downpours of March.