EIGHT steps to help spring clean your mind and boost your mental well-being are today explained by a leading expert.
Author and counsellor Lynn Crilly says the move from Winter into Spring – which officially happens today (March 20) – is a “great chance to reset”.
Explaining why, Lynn, the author of a number of books including Hope With Depression – A self-help guide for those affected and their families, friends and carers, said: “Whilst Summer, Autumn and Winter all have their fans, Spring must be my favourite season. It is the season for fresh starts, new beginnings and is symbolised by new life and growth.
“It is the month where we are encouraged to spring clean our homes and workspaces. So there is no better way to use this time of seasonal transition as a chance to make positive changes for our mental well being and spring clean your mind.”
She added: “By being able to identify what is cluttering up your mind and giving it a deep clean will help reduce stress, improve your focus and in turn boost your mood.”
Here are some ideas from Lynn to get you started.
- Brush away negative thoughts and phrases with positive ones – Say things like ‘I can do this’ instead of ‘I can’t do this’ or ‘I will do my best and that is good enough’ or ‘I will give it a go’ instead of ‘I won’t try as I know I can’t do it’
- Engaging in physical health has been proven to play a vital role in sustaining good mental health. The longer lighter days means going outside in the fresh air for a walk can really help to blow away the winter cobwebs.
- Writing a Journal or Diary – By writing down your worries, thoughts, feelings and fears, it helps to release them from your mind.
- Let go of any past drama – drama and all the negative thoughts and feelings that come with it has a way of sticking with us. And whilst it may be tempting to hang onto it, it does not have any long-term benefits. By letting go, your mind will have a more positive space and will be able to handle the future with a lot less stress and anxiety.
- Drop a bad habit – Most if not all of us have an area in their life that can have a negative impact on their mental health. For many it may be diet, exercise or even spending too long on our phones. Make an effort to change the habit. Instead of lazy Sundays on your phone, make an effort to put it away, cook something nice, go for a walk or visit a friend and then come back and have a lazy afternoon instead
- Practice gratitude – A really good way to promote a happy and healthy mind is to look at what you do have and not what you do not! This can be achieved in many ways, either by writing down daily the things you are thankful for or taking a few moments to mentally check all the things you are grateful for.
- Be creative – I am a huge advocate of using creativity to help clear the mind, whether it is doing a jigsaw, knitting, painting or colouring it will definitely help you to lose yourself.
- Accept you are not perfect. Accepting that life is not perfect and probably never will be as is the world around us, it helps to ease that added pressure we put on ourselves everyday which in turn will help us to relax a bit more As we move into Spring: How To Spring Clean Your Mind
