Spring Clean: Spruce up your view!

What does spring cleaning mean to you?

For some, it may be a time to put away their winter gear and start pulling out their outdoor stuff.  Others may think of it as a time to go through the house and garage, gathering items no longer needed or used and then donating them to charity.  Of course, there is the traditional thought of spring cleaning, which is to give your home a full, no-inch, nook, or cranny-missed cleaning.

Today I am going to present you with a spring cleaning idea that you may not have thought of……. Sprucing up your view!

Here are three views that you should consider sprucing up this spring!

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Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links. I am an Amazon and Walmart affiliate. I may earn a small commission to fund my Disney obsession if you use these links to make a purchase. You will not be charged extra and will keep me supplied with Pixie Dust and Mickey pretzels. It’s a win for everyone. I am not a medical professional, and nothing stated in this article should be mistaken for medical advice…

Spring Clean Your Outdoor View

What do you see when you look out the window near where you spend most of your time?  If you see trash, abandoned or inoperable vehicles, or anything that doesn’t make you feel good to look at, it is time for a change.  Moving is one option, but not always the best, easiest, or most affordable.

What can you do to change your view? Try hanging curtains with a print that brings you joy! But don’t cover the entire window! Instead of hanging the rod at the top of the window, hang it halfway. That way, you still get the natural light your body and mind need without having to look out on a scene that makes you cringe.

Another option is to rearrange your furniture so that it gives you another angle to look out that window.  By moving my bed from one wall to another in a former home, I swapped my view of a traffic light for one of a beautiful tree filled with flowers in the spring.

Spring Clean Your Indoor View

If your chronic pain from chronic illnesses such as fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, or MS is high, you probably spend most of your time in your bedroom or in the living area. 

I know that is where my time is spent when I am flaring or when I am recovering from an injury.

Look around the room/area that you spend most of your time in.  Does it make you feel anxious, agitated, angry, or annoyed? 

It shouldn’t. 

The place you spend the majority of your time in should be a place that makes you happy, calms you, that provides comfort and peace.  If that doesn’t sound like the area that you spend most of your time in, it is time for a change!

First, clean it up!  Avoid having piles of items that need to be put away.  If you really can’t keep up with putting things away, use pretty baskets to collect and store the items in until you can.

Second, make it comfortable! Do you have somewhere comfortable to sit?  Could you use some new bedding? If the area is dull and dreary looking, brighten it up with vibrant colors and prints.

Last but not least, give yourself something to look at! Whether it be a piece of artwork or real/artificial flowers, find something to have on your walls or shelves that brings you joy.

Spring Clean Your Mental View

Now time for the view we would rather not think about….. how we view living with our chronic illness(es). 

How do you view your life? 

Do you think it sucks, is miserable, or not worth living? 

It is time to get some help. 

I am not saying that you have to be positive all the time; Lord knows that I’m not.  But the difference between having a bad moment and life is that with a bad life, you can’t find things to be thankful for, to like, or enjoy. While it isn’t always easy to see, life with a painful chronic illness can include joy.

I have said this before, and I will say it again, there is no shame in seeing a therapist!!! Too many people think they can handle everything on their own, but they are wrong. Friends and family members have their own issues. While they may make great sounding boards, they are not a substitute for professional mental healthcare.

If your insurance provider doesn’t provide adequate mental health coverage, is expensive, or you just don’t have the physical strength to go out to see a therapist, I highly recommend Online-Therapy.com. Their therapists provide the therapy you need when and where you need it most.

Other tips to help clean up how you view your life includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• End each day listing what you WERE able to do
• Create realistic plans, not plans that require you to be 100%
• Be gracious to your body and accept what it can do
• If you must focus on what you can’t do, do it only to find a new way to perform that task or activity.  Find an alternative solution.
• Practice showing yourself compassion

Which of your views needs sprucing up?

Related Reading

Five ways to make your home chronically friendly

Cleansing Your Calendar