10 Tips for Mental Health Spring Cleaning

Every spring, we give our homes a deep cleaning to get it ready for the coming year. Do you do the same to your mind? Decluttering your brain is just as important as organizing your home. Here are 10 tips for mental health spring cleaning.

1. Start Journaling
   Journaling might be a hobby that has fallen a bit out of vogue, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less effective. Keep a journal of your thoughts, worries, fears, and upsets. This helps release them from your mind.
2. Drop a Bad Habit
   Pick an area in your life that has an impact on your mental health. For many of us, this might be diet or exercise. Make an effort to drop the habit and replace it with a healthier option. Instead of lazy Sundays, for example, maybe switch to lazy Sunday afternoons after a quick jog.
3. Let Go of Past Drama
   Drama, and the negative feelings it induces, has a way of sticking with us. Let past drama go, even if it’s tempting to hang onto it. Your mind will be a more positive space and will be better able to handle the coming year thanks to your effort, and you’ll feel less stress and anxiety as a result.
4. Tackle Projects You’ve Been Putting Off
   We all have a mental list of projects we really need to tackle. Start your “mental health spring cleaning” by writing down all of the things that you’ve been putting off, like home repairs or going to the skin doctor, and making the necessary appointments to get everything in hand.
5. Build Positive Relationships
   We all have people in our lives that we love, but with whom we don’t have the healthiest or most enjoyable relationships. Instead of spending time prioritizing those people, consider dedicating your time to positive friendships instead.
6. Begin Healing Past Trauma
   Life doesn’t leave anyone unscathed, and you might have some experiences in your past that have negatively affected you. If you haven’t already, now is the time to start taking steps towards overcoming them. Don’t be afraid to reach out to professionals for advice and guidance.
7. Make Gratitude a Priority
   One great way to promote a healthy mind is to take some time to consider everything for which you are grateful. You can do this in a number of ways. If you’d like to make a daily list, for example, then set aside some time to the activity every day. You can also take a few moments every day and mentally check off all of your blessings.
8. Kick Negative Thoughts to the Curb
   Chances are good you have enough on your mind without negative thoughts bouncing around. Consciously push those thoughts out and refocus on something positive instead.
9. Pick Up a New Hobby
   Consider starting a new hobby to help spend your time constructively. A mind occupied with an interesting activity is a happy one.
10. Change Your Perspective
    Accept that you’re not perfect and neither is the world around you. Instead of focusing on issues that make you made, look to the moments of progress and joy instead.