Spring is a great time to cleanse not only your body, but also your mind.
I can personally attest to this because I, myself, have been in a bit of a mental lull. We recently moved, and I’m struggling to get my routines and life back on track here in our new city of Houston.
As a Certified Life Coach, I fully understand the impact our mental health and well-being has on our physical health and wellness.
The good news is, if you aren’t feeling fulfilled or your life just isn’t going how you want it to, you can always hit the redo or reboot button on your life.
And spring is the best time of year for renewal!
As with all my blogs, I want to give you action steps to get out of your mental rut and into the upswing of life. We all experience ebbs and flows of energy, mental clarity, happiness, and sadness. It’s important to recognize when you are in one of those ruts so that you can work yourself back on track to a life you love.
Mental Health Spring Cleaning Action Plan:
#1 Make Lists!
I personally get overwhelmed with the to-dos that are chronically running around in my head, and once I’m in overwhelm, my mood takes a turn for the worse.
However, if I sit down and write out all of my to-dos on a list, my anxiety immediately dissipates. Perhaps your to-do list is also swimming around in your head, or maybe you don’t feel motivated to do the things you love.
Wherever you are, mentally, whatever your concern or specific stressor is, I promise that making a list will help.
Because life isn’t always a bed of roses, even making a simple list of all your complaints will help get you moving. My favorite thing to do with any negative lists I make is to burn them afterward.
Here are six list ideas to get you flowing and moving upward:
- My to-do list
- Cheerful/positive songs
- Connect with these friends
- Take care of me
- New activities I’d like to try
- My complaints list
Download a PDF of these lists.
#2 Get Physical!
Stagnation and inactivity kill our mojo!
I decided to start hot yoga again, and in just two weeks of commitment to it, I feel so much better mentally. For me, it’s not just the movement, but also the meditation and sweating that help give me more clarity and focus.
Maybe yoga isn’t your thing, but there are so many ways to get up and moving – you just have to make the decision to do it! Dancing (Latin dancing is my personal favorite), bike riding (it doesn’t have to be like the Tour de France – just get outside), trying a new fitness class (I have some friends who love this new 9Round place), or maybe just walking around a local park with a friend.
#3 Get Back to Nature!
Connecting with nature in some way is magical for our mental well-being.
Being outdoors naturally calms and soothes our mental chatter and worries. Consider taking your shoes off and getting your feet connected to the earth in a practice called “grounding” or “earthing.”
Regularly connecting to the earth’s natural energy through our feet is known to be healing – and it’s free!
#4 Reach Out!
If you aren’t feeling your best and your mental health is suffering, reach out to other people for help. Our nature is to want to help people, but we can’t do that if we are pretending that we are fine and not talking about it.
I’m part of an Alliance called We Are All A Little Crazy (@weareallalittlecrazy), which works to eliminate the stigma surrounding the mental health challenges we all face at some point in our lives. It’s a great organization up to big things, and I’m proud to be a part. Even reaching out on social platforms such as this one will get you taking a new action toward feeling great.
Taking inventory of your mental health is just as important as, if not more than, working on your body. Spring cleaning your body and mind begins with the intention and mindset to do so; you may just have to clear out some cobwebs to get going in the right direction.
Please seek professional help if you are feeling suicidal or depressed in any way. The National Suicide Prevention hotline is 1-800-273-8255.
———-
Resources:
