Hi there, it is another beautiful week and I really appreciate you coming back here week after week and supporting me and my rambling about mental health
I am quite keen for us to develop a disaster proof mental health maintenance culture and this is how I hope that one person at a time, we can make these discussions and actions part of our culture too.
April… I love how the days are brighter and longer, the sun is out yet it’s cold, It is springtime!!!! A new beginning, when the year starts becoming comfortable and we have more clarity.
How has the month started out for you?
Let’s look at small housekeeping tasks for your mental health, you can do this month. I believe in you… let’s get it!
As flowers bloom and birds chirp, there’s a natural urge to tidy up and refresh our surroundings during springtime. But amidst the physical decluttering, let’s not forget to declutter our minds as well.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the art of spring cleaning for the mind and how it can lead to mental clarity and inner peace.
Clearing Out Mental Clutter:
Imagine your mind as a room filled with stacks of papers, scattered belongings, and cobwebs of old thoughts. Just as a cluttered space can feel suffocating, a cluttered mind can weigh us down mentally and emotionally.
Spring offers the perfect opportunity to start fresh by letting go of what no longer serves us. Take some time to identify negative thought patterns, worries, and self-doubt lingering in your mind. Acknowledge them, thank them for their presence (as they often have lessons to teach), and then gently release them.
Remember, making space for positivity and growth starts with clearing out the mental cobwebs.
Practical tip: write down the top 10 things you have on your mind now. What’s the first solution for each of them you come up with? What’s the second? What’s the third?
Don’t make any decisions, just have those 3 options and go back to them after 2 days.
Organizing Your Thoughts:
Once you’ve cleared out the mental clutter, it’s time to organize your thoughts like neatly arranged shelves or colour-coded files.
Practice mindfulness to observe your thoughts without judgment. Notice when your mind starts to wander or dwell on negative thoughts, and gently guide it back to the present moment.
I remember the first time I tried meditation, chai! It was like space to solve world peace. I had lists going, planned trips, had hypothetical phone calls etc. my mind was so busy.
I later learnt this is normal when you never have quiet time to yourself. To notice them and acknowledge them and put them aside in a box when they come.
The goal is to notice things that come mind and then focus on your breathing or some music playing of you got that on. Just notice things and keep moving back to focus. This is something I am teaching my children too, to notice life and not rush through.
Use techniques like journaling, meditation, or deep breathing to anchor yourself in the here and now. By practicing mindfulness, you’ll gain clarity and perspective, allowing you to approach life’s challenges with a calm and focused mind.
Planting Seeds of Positivity:
With a clutter-free and organized mind, it’s time to plant seeds of positivity and growth. Cultivate gratitude by reflecting on the blessings in your life, no matter what that is. Start with the gift of life, air and a roof over your head, food in your stomach….
Get the Gratitude Journal in this post.
Surround yourself with uplifting people and positive influences that nourish your soul. Practice self-love and compassion by treating yourself with kindness and understanding. This is not to say you avoid real life, it is to say, you meet real life with more resilience and flexibility to allow you feel emotions that may be hard and then come back to the good ones again.
Just as spring brings new life to the world, nurturing positivity within yourself will lead to personal growth and fulfilment.
It rains on good and bad people. Don’t get stuck there, the sun is coming.
Embracing Mental Clarity:
Things will not change on the first day or maybe even the 15th day, however you look back a year from now and you will be a different person, feel lighter, more focused, and better equipped to handle life’s challenges with grace and resilience. Embrace clarity with open arms, knowing that you have the power to create a life filled with purpose, joy, and inner peace.
Spring is a time of renewal and growth, both in nature and within ourselves.
By embracing the art of spring cleaning for the mind, we can declutter sustainably for a more fulfilling life. One where we welcome with grace, life’s seasons.
Let’s roll up our sleeves, dust off the cobwebs, and welcome new beginnings.
Happy spring cleaning!
Wishing you clarity, peace, and growth this spring,
Until we meet again next week,
Stay authentic, Stay resilient,
Be yourself and keep getting better at it.
Live wholeheartedly,
Amaka
2 Cor 3:2(MSG)
You yourselves are all the endorsement we need. Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it—not with ink, but with God’s living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives—and we publish it.
