How many “spring cleaning” posts have been rolling through your feed the last few weeks? Home organization, cleaning, chores, etc. … we’re all very focused on ways to spring clean the “things” around us, but what about the parts inside us? When was the last time you took a good look at how the inner workings of your mindset are going?
Are you happy? Are you meeting your goals? Do you like the environment you’re in? Are you stuck in a rut? When you think about where you are in life, does it make you anxious or are you content? Did daylight savings time mess up your world? (Us, too.)
These are some heavy-hitting questions if you’re not quite where you want to be. But, each day is a chance to start over, and the jump into spring is the perfect way to reset. Spring cleaning shouldn’t just be about junk drawers and closet space. Let’s dive in and do the spring cleaning that can change your life and make you who you want to be!
5 Ways to Reset and Spring-Clean Your Mindset
Know your own mindset. When someone asks you how you’re doing, what’s your immediate response? Do you say, “I’m good, how are you?” Do you respond with the generic, “I’m fine,” even when you’re not? A build-up of emotions might not come out immediately, but it will come out somewhere. There’s a saying that it’s better for volcanos to have many smaller eruptions because it keeps them from a much larger and more destructive eruption. 🌋 Many would agree that emotions are the same.
Support your mindset by supporting your mind.
There are a variety of outside factors that can affect your inside environment and mindset. Pick one and try it today!
- Go to bed one hour earlier than your usual bedtime (or even 30 minutes!). Sleep is seen as one of the biggest positive influences on your brain health.
Funny sidenote: Did you know that your body can actually put you to sleep involuntarily? When you find yourself “zoning out” in a meeting or randomly throughout the day, it’s your brain’s way of forcing a nap, even if it’s just 10-15 seconds!
- Add a superfood to your diet. Start with dark– colored berries (blackberries, blueberries, etc.), dark leafy greens, or a lean fish like salmon or crab (YUM!).
- Get 30 minutes of cardiac activity. Go for a walk, hit the gym, ride your bike to work, or do an online workout!
Expand your mindset.
Find a podcast, audiobook, or other audio that you enjoy. Many of us listen to the news on our morning commute, but maybe that’s not the best way to start the day—the news is often laden with stressful situations.
Remove the negativity.
Negative thoughts are easy to come by, and tough to squash. Think about or write down thoughts or times in the day when you tend to be more negative. Then … talk about it with someone! It might be hard to say some of these things out loud but getting a fresh perspective from someone else can really help you work through and start battling the not-so-helpful thoughts. Now, for every negative thought you notice, balance it out with two positive thoughts. Write them down. When you’re feeling negative, look back at them and remember that negativity is up to you to change. Need a little help keeping a positive mindset?
Forgive someone.
Especially if it’s yourself. No one is perfect; no one has all the answers. It’s such an easy thing to turn those negative thoughts on ourselves or someone else, and hanging onto past experiences, issues, flaws, or expectations isn’t good for anyone … namely, you!
How do we move forward to forgiveness?
- Treat yourself, and others, like someone you love. Compassion and empathy should be for everyone we come across, not just our family and friends, and it should be for ourselves, too!
- Use your experiences as a learning tool: learn, grow, move forward. If we stay stuck on things that have either already happened, or that we can’t change, we lose the possibility for growth!
- Remember … you are not the worst thing you’ve ever done. Stop thinking you’re the same person you were 1, 5, or even 10 years ago. We’re all changing constantly, so don’t let one thing, one thought, or one experience define the rest of your life.
All of these things are easier said than done, and they won’t happen overnight. Changing your mindset takes time, but it’s also an important part of growth and you won’t regret it!
How do you feel about your own mindset right now? What do you feel you need to work toward changing?
Share with us, we want to hear from you!
