It’s the season for spring cleaning! That time of year where you pull out furniture, remove dishes from cupboards and get to the deepest crevices of your home. But, have you ever taken the time to have a spring renewal to reset your mind? Here are 5 ways to give yourself a much-needed mental refresher.
1. THE SOCIAL MEDIA CLEANSE
We can all find ourselves becoming consumed with scrolling social media feeds. But how do these behaviors affect us? Have you ever found yourself flipping through someone else’s highlight reel, only to step away and feel worse about your own life? Social media has great benefits, but just like anything else in life, it’s good to sometimes take a step back.
I saw an Instagram post that read: “Self-Care Tip: Unfollow every account that makes you feel like you need to be someone else.” (Amen to that!) The beauty of social media is that we have complete control over what we want our feed to be. So, take time and follow accounts that help inspire, educate or entertain you. Anything else that doesn’t add value to your life, mute or unfollow it.
Need a deeper cleanse? Take 3-5 days of complete detox from using social media altogether.
Follow Gulf Coast Woman on Instagram and Facebook! We’d be happy to empower you!
2. TAKE TIME OUT FOR SLEEP
This may be one of the most simple, yet, easily neglected steps in mental renewal. Sleep is vital. We are a society that is rushing and busy and multitasking in every hour of our day. We prioritize our tasks but how often do we bump up sleep on the list? Many times we mistake hard work with what are actually unhealthy habits that deplete us more in the long run than replenish us. Schedule in time for yourself to rest. Remove distractions from your space. This time is for you to completely shut down.
3. CHECK IN ON YOURSELF
Awareness is key. For us to even know what we need, we must give attention to ourselves, and check in. Set aside moments to ask yourself questions, such as, “What am I feeling right now? What do I need? What is calling me in this moment?” Allow yourself to go down a question and answer session to give you this insight. Answer honestly. This is just for you. You’d be surprised how many times you don’t even know you are in crisis or are yearning for something. These answers will reveal what self-care steps you may need to take next.
4. VISION BOARD UPGRADE
Vision boards are when you write your dreams and goals, cut out images and words that support those dreams and paste them into a collage on a poster board. I personally love vision boards! Now, let’s take this creative project to the next level. When imagining your future and what you want for yourself, connect with the feelings of what accomplishing those goals will bring. Ask yourself, “What would it feel like to land that job?” or “If I was living my best life, how would I feel when I woke up?” Now, find ways right now to cultivate these feelings as much as possible. Doing this will lead you quicker to realizing each vision.
5. A POSITIVE AFFIRMATION A DAY
Much of the clutter in our minds comes from the thoughts we have about our lives and ourselves. What words come to mind when you speak about yourself? Are you uplifting yourself or criticizing yourself endlessly? The words and thoughts we feed ourselves eventually play out in our lives. So, let’s replace these negative words with ones that support who we are or who we strive to be.
- Follow social media accounts that post positive quotes or affirmations
- Hang up art that encourages you in a place where you’ll see it each day (T.J. Maxx has tons of cute options!)
- In a journal, list things that you value about yourself. (Add this to your bedtime routine!)
- Say positive affirmations out loud to yourself. Put some music on and be your own hype man!
Crystal Scretching is an inspirational speaker, author and digital media specialist. For more info, visit www.crystalscretching.com or reach her at crystal.scretching@gmail.com.