Dear readers…
(Sorry, been watching too much Bridgerton lately)
Let’s try this again and get right to the point. This edition of Self Care Sundays will merge an old concept with a new one. I’m sure everyone has heard of the term “spring cleaning,” a notion that the spring season brings a renewed sense of productivity and joy. Somehow people find the will to get up and scrub their entire house clean or transform their entire wardrobe instead of watching Netflix all day (I really applaud those people). However, what seems to get left out of the equation is mental spring cleaning, and we’re not talking about the kind where you feel absolutely mental trying to get done your list of chores.
Instead, what I would like to introduce is a season of refreshment and fulfillment for your mental state. They say it takes several good thoughts to combat one bad thought, and when you really think about that in terms of how many thoughts you have a day- that is A LOT of work. So do your brain and your mental health a favor and-
Let it go
That’s right, repeat after me: Let it go.
By that I mean let that thought go. Yes, our minds are working around the clock every day, producing so many thoughts but everyone knows what it is like to have that one thought. The one that is on repeat or is waiting underneath the surface to pop back up at the most random or inopportune time. Identify whatever that thought is, whether it be about your relationship, your projects, your home life, your internship applications, a job interview, an awkward encounter, or a fight with a friend. The hard part is not identifying what that haunting thought is for you. The hard part is letting it go. It’s tricky when “letting it go,” means something different for everyone. How you find peace is often through a journey of self-discovery on what coping strategies work for you and what don’t. For now, there is one piece of advice that everyone can implement across the board; the second that thought enters your head, just as quickly think of something that combats it.
What if things don’t work out in this relationship?
- But what if they do?
Why am I not being as productive with my projects today?
- Any accomplishment is an accomplishment no matter how big or small, so what have I accomplished today?
Why is my friend not talking to me, do they hate me?
- There are so many happy memories I share with this friend, I know that they care for me.
I’ve experienced so many rejections, what if I never get an internship or a job?
- But what if you do? What is the harm in putting yourself out there when you have so many great qualities to offer the world?
It’s a technique that doesn’t come naturally and will have to take a lot of practice before you can start combating those thoughts on a daily basis. I feel like this is just as much a reminder for me as it is for you because I don’t think anyone has truly mastered how to control negative thoughts.
Together we can enter this season of renewal ready for fresh starts and positive vibes, we just have to do a little spring cleaning first!