Welcome to the first day of Spring (and on another note, can you believer we are already at September?! It only feels like the other day that I was saying that ‘I can’t believe we’re in 2014!’)

As someone who isn’t really a fan of the colder weather, waking up this morning to the sun shining, the birds chirping and knowing that we are one step closer to Summer and packing away coats and boots is very exciting! For me, the change of seasons is always a good time to take a bit of a breather and reflect on what has been and what you are recommitting to.

Spring is also an extra special time as it’s signifies new life and new beginnings. It’s the perfect opportunity to de-clutter and de-tox; to get rid of those things in your life that are weighing you down so that you can move into the magic of summer fresh, vibrant and ready for anything that gets thrown your way.

In light of this, here are my top 5 tips to help you spring into action for the last quarter of the year (and yes, pun intended). Got something else you’d like to add? Make sure you share with me in the comments section!

 If you keep good food in your house, you will put good food in your body

Have a look through your pantry and fridge. What foods do you have in there? Comfort foods, packaged foods and those high in sugar and salt tend to accumulate in people’s cupboard over the months of ‘staying in’.

The food we eat provides our body with all the nutrients and building blocks that it needs to effectively repair, regenerate and grow. Just me mindful to not get over excited. I often see people going a bit ‘overboard’, buying more than they can consume to only then throw food out when it goes off. Find out what method of shopping suits you – every couple of days or once a week and then only buy what you need or know you will consume. Similarly, don’t under-buy either – don’t give yourself an excuse to revert to convenience food.

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail

Get yourself organised! With your nutrition, you may like to plan your meals to take the thought process out of what to cook for dinner each night. This doesn’t work for me as I like to cook based on what I feel like, but I make sure all my vegetables are washed before they go in my fridge. That when I get home, all I have to do is chop and cook. I also like to make double at dinner so that lunch is always sorted the next day.

As our social calendars start filling up, it’s also wise to start ‘booking in’ activities that support your health – exercise, ‘time out’ or appointments. Make these a priority and once they’re in your diary, leave them there!

Make time in your life for those who make an effort to be there

So often, we overwhelm ourselves trying to ‘catch up’ with everyone, sometimes to the point where we are so busy being there for everyone else, we neglect time for ourselves. Have a look at the people in your life and ask yourself ‘who is really making an effort to be in my world?’ and ‘who do I want to make an effort for?’

Relationships (of any kind) are a two-way street. Both parties need to put in the effort, so if you feel that you’re the one always doing the ‘giving’, it might be time to sit back for a while and see who is making an effort to really be there for you.

Tame your technology use

Email, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter… We are living in a world where (like it or not) we are almost always connected. There have been several interesting studies that have shown how our emotional health is suffering as a result of social media and the need to constantly stay ‘in touch’. Set aside some time every day where you can ‘detox’ from technology. Go and sit outside and just ‘be’ instead of sitting and being on your phone or checking emails or being on Twitter…

Health Check Time

You don’t know, what you don’t know – and that’s why you should make an appointment with your health professional. I recommend checking in with both your naturopath and GP at this time of year. Important assessments include an immune system check to see how you went through winter, your current nutritional status (especially vitamin D), weight and waist (many people aren’t aware that they have gained a few Kg’s over winter and it’s important to understand why!), blood pressure and general health and vitality.

For a naturopath, it’s also really important to check gut and liver function as these systems naturally slow down over winter. A detox may be indicated, but not always so resist the temptation to do a random over the counter detox just because the marketing campaigns tell you that you should. If this is something that you would like to explore, speak to a qualified naturopath so that they can guide you in the right direction.