6 Ways to Put a Spring in Your Step this Spring
1. Get a good night's sleep
With finals season right around the corner, sleep is even more important — high energy and good focus start with a full night of rest. In order to not only improve your mood this spring but also your ability to concentrate, make sure you get to bed at a reasonable hour. For even better sleep, try putting your phone away an hour or two before bedtime — reducing screen time before going to bed has been proven to improve sleep quality.
2. Get to cleaning
Spring cleaning is not just for moms. By doing some decluttering and re-organization in your room, you can instantly improve your mood and productivity. Studies have also found that spring cleaning helps with allergy symptoms, so if you’re a victim of the dreaded spring allergies, even more reason to whip out the vacuum. I know whenever my apartment is clean, I feel like a whole new person. One rule I like to follow is: if you haven’t used it since the last spring cleaning, it’s time to get rid of it.
3. Get some exercise
Who doesn’t love some time outside in the fresh, spring air? Make your time outside even more worthwhile by incorporating some exercise into your day. I love hiking in the spring to get my heart rate up. There are an abundance of parks in North Carolina that have great trails to walk — or if you’re feeling really ambitious, run — through. If you don’t have time for a long workout, just try walking outside for ten minutes every day.
4. Do some random acts of kindness
Kindness is contagious. My favorite thing to do, year-round, is pay for the person behind me in the Starbucks drive-thru. Someone did this for me about five years ago — I had been having a really bad day and my mood was instantly improved, not just momentarily but it was almost like my entire outlook on life changed. And the idea of doing this for someone else is always worth the extra ~$5.
5. Change the way you drink your coffee
Studies have found that it’s actually more effective to drink your coffee in small but frequent doses throughout the day — think about a quarter of a cup at a time. This has been proven to increase alertness and focus, something we could all use a bit more of this finals season.
6. Leave your phone at home for a day
Disconnecting from the stresses of social media and constant communication can be beneficial. I did a 24-hour no-media challenge for one of my classes and it was difficult at first — I found myself reaching for my phone every few minutes — but after about an hour, I felt so relieved. My mood was improved and I felt more present in my life.