Spring clean your self-care routine

The first buds of spring signal the arrival of longer, warmer days, new beginnings and, for many of us, an irrepressible urge to clean up, clear out and declutter our surroundings. Spring cleaning your home can be a great way to free up some head space too. But if it's time for a fresh start, making a few simple tweaks to your daily routine could be even more effective.

'This change in season heralds the perfect time to break any bad habits picked up during the winter months and make better choices to form healthier habits,' says Dr Emma Williams, Partner & Nutrition Manager at Waitrose & Partners. 'Having a specific goal in mind can really help, be it losing a few pounds for a special event, getting in your 5-a-day, eating more fibre or cutting down on the sweet stuff.'

Read on for our favourite ways to make the most of those precious extra hours of daylight.

If the first thing you do in the morning is reach for your phone, lunge for the kettle or hit the snooze button, consider pressing pause instead. Taking just a few minutes out for yourself first thing can really help to get your day off on the right foot. Exercising in the morning can improve energy and focus, and even help you sleep better at night, but you don't have to crank out a 5K before breakfast – try a bitesize online workout, or 20 minutes of sunrise yoga. You'll find some of our favourite classes in our beginner's guide to at-home yoga.

This is also a great time to make space for a daily dose of mindful meditation or breathwork. Blow out the cobwebs with a simple guided meditation or breathwork exercise – try Headspace if you're new to meditation, or Flourish for a beginner-friendly introduction to breathwork.

Or why not give journaling a go? You can use the time to plan your day, or simply get thoughts, concerns and ideas out of your head and down on paper. 'Don’t plan what you are going to write; just listen to your mind and get everything down,' says Helen Colebrook, author of Journal With Purpose. 'When I sit down with my journal, I switch off from the electronic world and take the time to reflect on the things that I want to work on, rather than just the daily demands and tasks that come my way.'

Building your meals around fresh, seasonal produce will help you lay solid foundations for a healthy mind and body. Seasonal fruit and vegetables are packed with beneficial vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, plus plenty of filling fibre. Tuck into tropical fruits such as papaya, pineapples and avocados, and pile your plate with homegrown veggies like artichokes, beetroot, carrots, chicory, cucumber, leeks, purple sprouting broccoli, radishes, rhubarb, spring greens and watercress.

Switch up your go-to meal roster with one of Emma's favourite seasonal recipes:

Breakfast: Roasted rhubarb with orange & ginger
This low fat granola and yogurt-based breakfast dish comes with a zingy twist. 'Rhubarb is a source of manganese, which helps the body to use the energy produced from food and is important for healthy bones and connective tissue,' says Emma. 'And oranges are rich in vitamin C, which supports the immune system and can help to reduce tiredness and fatigue, making this breakfast a great way to start the day!'

Lunch: Parsnip, carrot & kale hash with poached eggs
This filling lunch is a tasty route to your 5-a-day. 'Kale is rich in vitamins A and K, plus folate and vitamin C. Parsnips are also rich in folate, while carrots are rich in vitamin A,' explains Emma. 'Vitamin A is important for normal healthy vision, and vitamin K is crucial for healthy bones, while both folate and vitamin C are key to normal psychological function.'

Dinner: Stir-fried cabbage and mushrooms with noodles
Vowing to be better at eating your greens? Quick and easy to whip up at the end of a busy day, this flavour-packed dish is low in saturated fat but full of texture. 'Cabbage is rich in vitamin C, which is important for immune function – it's also a source of folate, which is particularly important if you're planning a pregnancy,' Emma explains. 

With the days growing longer, warmer and brighter, it's a great time to make getting outside part of your daily routine. You could go for a walk or run, or simply take your tea break al fresco – spending even a few minutes outside can improve mood, reduce stress and boost your levels of vitamin D. If you're lucky enough to have a garden or outdoor space, why not give gardening a go? Studies have linked green fingers with increased feelings of happiness, wellbeing and life satisfaction, and reduced symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression. 

If you're not a fan of running, walking or HIIT training, there's even more good news. Gardening counts towards your recommended weekly quota of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise – so it'll help keep your heart and lungs in good working order, too. And if you grow your own veggies, you'll also reap all the benefits of eating seasonal plant-based foods. Spring is the perfect time to sow potato, beetroot, carrot, chard, leek, onion, pea, radish and turnip seeds.

Many of us naturally slow down over the winter months, but spring can give us the boost we need to shake up our sofa-centric routines, get our hearts pumping and wake up our bodies and minds. Walking is the simplest way to get moving – and it combines the health benefits of exercise with the mood-boosting effects of getting out and about. Why not make a 10-20 minute mindful walk part of your daily routine? It's a great way to reset after a busy morning. Take it one step further with the walking meditation detailed in our guide to walking your way to wellbeing.

If you've got a bit more energy to burn, spring is a great time to learn to run, or begin a gentle at-home yoga practice. If you need a little help to get going, investing in some stylish new activewear can be a great way to give yourself the push you need to get started.

Including a mini self-care ritual in your daily or weekly beauty regime is a great way to factor a bit of you time into your day-to-day. In Ayurveda, self-massage (known as Abhyanga) is thought to rebalance the nervous system, boost energy, improve sleep, promote skin health and reinvigorate mind and body after the cold winter months. Gently warm your massage oil a little before you start, and use light, firm strokes, working towards the centre of the body from head down and toes up.

If you want to learn more about self-massage, our guides to head massage and facial massage are packed with useful tips and tricks. Did someone say self-care Sunday?