Spring Cleaning for Mental Health: 7 Ways to Dust off Those Winter Blues
It may seem like spring will never come (at least that’s how it feels here in Pittsburgh), but spring is well on its way. Soon it will be time to open the windows, wash the curtains, start decluttering and dust off our shelves. We all know and love that feeling of spring. Smelling fresh air, watching tulips bloom, and the ground turn back to green. It’s a time of renewal, growth, and change. During this time, we focus our energy on our homes, cars, and changing out our winter wardrobes for the fun florals of our spring time attire. We seem to forget that there is a need to take stock of our mental health.
Spring cleaning your mental health is also important. We must dust off our winter blues and cabin fever. It is important to go through our mental attics and let some of that old sh** go. I find it funny sometimes because, during springtime, we get to watch our world change right in front of our eyes, but we forget that we also deserve the same change that the tulip in the garden is going through. This is a time for renewal and growth for you too! So how do we clean up our mental house?
1. Clearing clutter:
Yes, I am going to mention the obvious. Yes, this does improve mental health. Just by clearing your space you are taking steps to do what is best for you. This practice is great for mood improvement and can decrease anxiety. It also can help you sleep if you clean up your bedroom (see my last blog for these details). If you were already planning this excellent. Look you are already off to a great start. Open the windows and dust off those cobwebs.
2. Remove or limit toxic relationships:
This one can be tough, and friendships can be hard to navigate at times. Take a moment and think about your family, friendships, relationship, anyone involved in your life… who is sucking the life out of you? As soon as you read this you knew who I was talking about. This person who is taking more than they are giving. It might even be someone who you love and has been an important part of your life. I get it. This is complicated. It might even be your boss. Let’s start with the easy stuff. If there is a toxic person in your life that you are ok letting the relationship fade out, great let’s do that. For navigating letting go of toxic people who are close to you, why don’t we start with just limiting your interaction as much as possible until you feel comfortable discussing how to navigate this issue with a close friend or hey even a therapist.
3. Move that body:
Yes, you knew it was going to be on the list. Our bodies were made to move not to sit in our comfy clothes on the couch while we wait for winter to officially melt away. There are mountains and mountains of research that links exercise to improved mental health. Trust me, it’s hard. Nothing is better than snuggles with my dogs, while I binge watch old episodes of the “Office”. Its time. You and I need to get our booty’s moving. Yes, I will be honest I need to get it together as well. On a nice day, when the sun is out take a walk. Join that gym you wanted to on January 1st. Take a zumba or a spin class you have wanted to try. None of that I don’t have the money.
I know it can be tough, but could you trade making a meal at home for yourself for 1 night a week instead of ordering take out? Could you trade that amazon purchase (insert item you really don’t need right now) for a chance to take that kick boxing class you were dying to try? Oh, and guess what? While you were watching YouTube videos of people doing things you could also be watching FREE exercise videos. Yes, I know crazy. So, since they are free, and you get to be home where no one can watch you try Yoga for the first time… nothing is stopping you. Hold on…Time out! Moms out there, I promise the kids will be fine for 20 minutes and some of the kids will even do it with you because it looks fun. You got this.
4. Clean up those bad habits:
Do not roll your eyes! This isn’t a lecture to help you switch from fries to broccoli. We all must look at what habits are hurting our mental health. Do you drink too much? Smoke too much? Prefer soda to water? Forget to eat all day then binge at night to make up for it? Stay up too late watching TV or scrolling through social media and then feel awful the next day? We all have bad habits. Yes, even me (former smoker right here). If you do things that you know are holding you back why keep doing it? Well for most people it can be as simple as it’s a habit. “I drink a few beers after work to unwind, and I have done it for 20 years”. “I only smoke after I eat, drink coffee, go out with my friends, before bed, when I wake up, it helps me relax”. “I am not tired at night so I scroll through Facebook and before I know it its 2am and I still can’t sleep”. “Water is gross, but Mountain Dew is just more refreshing, and I need the caffeine because I am so tired”. You get the point.
Here’s the thing folks, you are the captain of your own ship and yes you are an adult and you can do what you want, but wouldn’t it be nice if you felt better? You could have more energy, not be cranky and feel run down, or finally kick the habit you said you wanted to do for the last 5 years, etc. You are the captain of your own misery, but you are also the captain of your own happiness. Kicking bad habits that are holding you back could be life changing. Do I miss smoking? of course! Especially when I am stressed out but, I don’t miss smelling bad, I enjoy not being winded when I am walking up the steps, I don’t miss wearing six coats in the winter time so I don’t freeze to death, and I don’t miss all of the time spent away from my family outside feeding a habit that held my health, mental health, and wellbeing behind.
Start small. Make sure you plan some meals and eat throughout the day so you are not starving by the time you leave work, for every soda you drink have 1 glass of water, try to smoke 2 less cigarettes today, how about 1 beer after work instead of 4, how about we just keep the phone off at night and lay down at the time you wish you were asleep? You get the idea. What are some negotiations you are willing to make with your bad habits? What could you change or try right now?
5. Change your inner voice:
It is true what we say to ourselves matters. You are listening 24/7 to the thoughts in your mind. If you had someone walking around all day with you telling you how awful you are or how much of a disappointment you are, how do you think you would feel? Yep, pretty crappy. The same goes for you. Your internal voice can be one of the meanest, cruelest, bullies you have ever encountered in your entire life. We love to bully ourselves. Enough is enough. If you wouldn’t take that crap from your next-door neighbor or coworker, why on earth would you take if from yourself. Start by trying to listen for that internal voice.
Every time a negative thought comes along, write down a response to it as if it were a person. For example, if the thought “Wow, I can’t believe you made a mistake everyone is going to find out you are an idiot”, lets change that to “You know what I am not an idiot. People make mistakes and everyone in the room has made mistakes. I am actually pretty intelligent”. Yes, I want you to talk back to yourself. You have permission and no this does not mean you are crazy.
6. Hobbies:
Get a hobby. Most people engage in bad habits, negative relationships, and can feel down and lonely (not all people but a good bit), because they are bored and have nothing better to do. Well let’s get a hobby. You have wondered what it would be like to try a cooking class, learn a language, sew, build a car, scrapbooking, hiking, biking, painting, writing, pottery, it doesn’t matter go do it. Get out make some new friends. Learn a new skill. Get out of the house. My clients laugh but I tell a lot of people it is time for a hobby. If you aren’t sure what you might be into, go try something different. If you hate it try something else.
7. Therapy and change:
Something else you can do for your mental health spring cleaning is take the leap to go to therapy. You have been through a lot and there is some past stuff that holds you back. This is the perfect time to create growth and change in your life. Therapy can help you navigate the past, safely move through your trauma, navigate those toxic relationships, help you create lifelong change, help you make changes so you can have that that dream life you want. Change can be so hard and scary but so worth it in the end. You don’t have to be in therapy forever. It is a commitment made by you, based on your goals for yourself, and it is on your terms. Why not give it a try? What’s the worst that can happen? You make some change and your life is better? You know how to get a hold of me when you are ready.
“Spring: a lovely reminder of how beautiful change can truly be” ~ unknown