We have officially celebrated the first day of Spring and welcome it with open arms after a long winter. In these past monthly articles, we have discussed getting through the holiday stressors while feeling thankful for all that we have, and working towards bettering ourselves through the holiday season. Now that we are entering a new season, it is time to focus our attention on ‘out with the old and in with the new’ – a spring cleaning of our mind and mindset.
A new season can lead to a new routine, but how do we mentally do an overhaul and rework our mindset to get where we want to be? To start, we focus on clearing out the thoughts that are consuming our time and make way for a new outlook. Maybe during the holidays or downtime during winter you realized some of the relationships in your life are not conducive to where you want to be. Setting healthy boundaries with different individuals in our lives can allow us to eliminate the weight we feel from these relationships. This can include family, friends, a significant other, or even coworkers. Perhaps we spent the last few months focused on everything we didn’t accomplish last year rather than working on setting new goals for this up-and-coming year. It is time to let these intrusive thoughts go and spring forward into taking the next steps to move ahead and keep bettering ourselves.
Much like our New Year’s Resolutions made at the first of the year, Spring is a time for a renewal and a wake up to what we want to continue to accomplish this year. It is the time to declutter our space to make these goals achievable, whether that be mentally, physically, or emotionally.
We’ve discussed now the emotional and mental changes we need to make in order to clear our minds, and now we can shift our focus on what we can physically do to revamp. Cleaning has an effect on us deeper than some may realize – it is often hard to sit down in a work space that feels unsettled and crowded and distracts you from what you are setting out to achieve. It may feel overwhelming to begin a large cleaning project, so just remember to start small and work through it piece by piece. Set aside 10-15 minutes a day to work through an area you are struggling to clean or to tackle a project you have been putting off doing. One task a day can make a big difference in the overall appearance of our homes or work area.
There are many other steps to take to achieve a renewed and free mind. Some as simple as getting a good night’s rest, eating healthy, and engaging in some type of physical activity throughout the day. We know the significant impacts this has on your physical health, but it also allows your mind to feel at peace and is a good start to strong mental health.
If you are struggling with where to begin, please reach out to one of our counselors at Arbor Family Counseling. Our counselors can encourage the start of these changes, give advice on reducing stress, and help you prioritize your life while maintaining positive relationships and habits.
https://www.headspace.com/articles/spring-clean-your-mind
https://vibranthealth.com/blogs/blog/12-ways-spring-clean-mind