Fall Cleaning

I don't know about you, but my summers are busy! There are so many fun things to do, that I don't want to stay home and keep my house organized and clean. The weeks rush by in a bustle of activity, with piles of mail, laundry, and projects waiting for me to give them attention. Now that summer is winding down, I am ready to begin my annual Fall Cleaning.

I'm sure you've all heard of Spring Cleaning to freshen the house and your body after the long, dark cold months. A Fall Cleaning is similar - the goal is to let go of any excess junk that's piled up over the summer, tend to things that have fallen by the wayside during the fun summer months, and set up some healthy habits to carry me through the holiday season. It requires a bit of examination of all areas of your life that contribute to your health and happiness to see if there is anything that needs attention. For most of us, these include your home, your health, your lifestyle & habits including diet and exercise, your R&R time, and your relationships.

There are (at least) two ways to approach Fall Cleaning. The fast way is to make a mental checklist of your life priorities, and then quickly review the state of your home, your body, your energy levels, and your relationships to see if how you are spending your time and energy is in alignment with your priorities or not. If you find a few things that aren't optimal, consider making some changes over the next couple of months.

The more in depth approach is to get out your trusty pen and paper and make some lists. For each aspect of your life (relationship, diet, exercise, health, home, work, etc...), make three columns labeled Energizing, Draining, and Needs Attention. Then for each aspect of your life write down everything that comes to mind that is energizing, everything that is draining your energy, and everything you've put off that needs attention (procrastination drains your energy too!)

Once you have a clear picture of what's contributing to your well-being - congratulate yourself and continue on with these healthy habits! Then look at what's draining you and needs attention and make some time to address them. I