Spring cleaning for your brain

When most people think of Spring cleaning they think of cleaning their house or reorganizing a junk drawer or closet but I like to think of it as a good time to tidy your headspace as well. Taking care of our mental health is even more important when you are in charge of the health and well-being of others. 

Caregivers and parents often overlook their own needs because they are so focused on everyone else but in order to be your best you need to learn to put yourself first.  It seems counterintuitive or selfish but ultimately we can not take care of others unless we take care of ourselves first. 

Here is a spring cleaning checklist for your brain!

Take stock: 

Reevaluate your own needs.  Often times we are so busy we forget to take the time to really think about our own needs.  Ask yourself some questions and form an action plan to meet your goals.  There may be some things you would like to change or put more effort into but if you don’t really sit down and take the time to discover what is most important to you then life can pass you by.  Maybe it’s planning a trip to visit a friend or family member or an exotic location you have always wanted to visit or an educational goal you have been putting off.  There is no time better than the present!

Take a mental health holiday: 

What would be your perfect day?  Sometimes the stressors of the day can take a toll on your overall physical and mental health.  That is why it’s so important to find the time to take care of yourself.  I love to reset by going to a hot yoga class and a friend of mine loves going for a long run to clear her head and un-frazzle her mind.  Whatever it is that brings your joy and renews your spirit make a concerted effort to fill your cup.  So… read a book by the fire or spend a Sunday afternoon in your PJ’s binge-watching your favorite movies.

Build positive habits:

It's easy to get sucked into another person's drama or find yourself in a negative tailspin with a boss, coworker, partner, friend, or family member.  We sometimes don’t realize how a strained relationship can bleed into other areas of our lives but just like laughter is contagious the same holds true for drama and negativity.  Challenge yourself to brake that paradigm!  It’s hard to do but replacing negativity with positive vibes will bring you a greater quality of life.

Do something nice for somebody:

We all need a village and giving to someone else without expectation adds to the richness of the people around you as well as your own happiness.  There are countless ways you can give back to others.  You can volunteer at your local foodbank, take in your neighbor’s trash buckets or bake some cookies and bring them over to your employer’s house on your next shift.  It makes a big difference to the people benefiting from your love and generosity as well as improves your enjoyment in your own life.  In other words, you get what you give.