Spring Cleaning

By Yadi Hernandez, Behavioral Health Consultant, Clearwater Valley Health

Spring has arrived, which is great for both your physical and mental health. This is a great opportunity to work on spring cleaning for both your physical space and your mental health. After the long winter months your mind can feel cluttered, causing overwhelming thoughts, increasing anxiety and depression. This may make it harder for you to focus, concentrate, and feel energy. For many of us, we are beginning to feel better after our battle with seasonal depression.

A good way to start decluttering your mental health is by practicing and prioritizing self-care. Refocusing on nutrition, healthy habits, and exercise are good starting points. Take 15 minutes a day to focus on mindfulness, positive affirmations, and/or gratitude statements. This will help declutter negative and unhealthy thoughts that are taking up space in your mind. Another good way is to declutter our digital life. Set boundaries with how often you are on social media or watching television. Listening to negative topics constantly is not good for your mental health and takes away your energy.

Now that the sun is out, using Nature Therapy (Ecotherapy) is a great way to take advantage of our weather to keep our body moving and declutter our minds. Nature therapy has been proven to help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Remember to listen to your body and mind. Start by making small goals or picking one small task to accomplish and focusing on outdoor activities or hobbies such as gardening, taking a walk, and/or riding your bike. The goal with spring cleaning is to allow for a fresh start by letting go of the old to allow space for the new. Remember to enjoy this time of year.