5 things to do in your home this spring
Spring has sprung and the dark days of January which seem so grey here in Ireland are brightening. There’s still a sharp nip in the air but the mornings are getting lighter, the evenings longer. In Ireland we say “There’s a grand stretch in the evening”. But what to do with that stretch?
1) Be still
I’ve started a new morning ritual which involves taking the dog out, making a pot of coffee and drinking it slowly while reading, and then meditating, all before breakfast. I set my alarm an hour earlier and manage to accomplish all these things in that space of time.
2) Open the Windows
This morning while making my coffee I noticed how dirty the windows are and there’s nothing more unforgiving than the low spring light. Now I’ll be honest, I haven’t cleaned them yet but they’re on my list! I also open the windows more in spring and let the fresh air in, it’s almost like a new beginning.
3) Enjoy Daffodils
Wordsworth said “I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
And every time I see daffodils I think of those words. Is there anything more cheerful than seeing the bright, yellow colours with their sweet, deep scent? There must be hundreds in my garden planted by my aunt, and they are a joy to behold, marking the start of spring.
4) Declutter
I seem to have become a regular down at my local charity shop. Last week I dropped in two bags full of novels I will never again read and even textbooks. I don't really know why I held onto these things but I now have more space in my home and less to dust! I feel lighter too, as though I’m making space for new opportunities or new beginnings.
5) Begin again.
If like me you’ve been hibernating these last few months, then it’s time to start thinking of coming out of the winter cave. It’s hard to leave the cosiness behind but this is a time of renewal and growth. What goals do you want to achieve? How do you want to prepare forsummer? What new opportunities are coming your way? Say yes.
Be still. Open the windows. Enjoy Daffodils. Declutter. Begin again.