Spring can mean a lot of different things, some being more positive than others. With the promise of warmer weather, the sun is out for longer, crippling pollen allergies, and the wrapping up of the semester, the season can be overwhelming. Spring cleaning is a term thrown around a lot and often associated with dusting, vacuuming, and decluttering, mostly to help with the buildup of dust and pollen before it gets too bad. But recently, spring cleaning in a more personal and mental-health forward sense has gained traction. Let’s take a look at some ways to declutter and dust ourselves off for the new season.
First, journaling is a great way to dump out our thoughts, negative or positive, and make space for new ideas and clearer outlooks. It’s also an easy and beneficial way to get in tune with the day’s emotions and feelings and there are hundreds of journal prompts to use if it is hard to express yourself in a newer way. Listing out acts of kindness, who and what you are grateful for, and what made you smile that day some topics for when you are in a positive mood, and things like writing down anything that made you mad, feel overwhelmed, or anything that didn’t go your way is good ways of expressing negative emotions that we can oftentimes feel guilty about.
Next, setting simple daily goals to accomplish can make the day feel easier to tackle. One cleaning goal such as taking out the trash or organizing desk drawers can take off the pressure of bigger tasks like deep cleaning a bathroom or bedroom. As for mental health, a goal like showering or washing your face can keep you on track for the bigger things that can feel taxing at times. There are also many apps that can help set these goals and make them easier to accomplish, such as Finch, an app where you have a small bird that journeys along with you as you set and complete different daily tasks and goals.
Finally, “habit-stacking” is similar to setting daily goals, but instead of setting one large goal that would be difficult to immediately include in your routine, day by day or week by week you can start to incorporate the goal piece by piece until the final product is accomplished. For example, if you wanted to start working out early in the morning before classes, you could habit stack this in 3 ways instead of trying to wake up early and work out all in one shot, which is more likely to fail as it is brand new to your daily routine. To habit-stack, start with changing one part of your day to reach the new goal. For example, wake up 15 minutes early every day until you reach the time you want to start waking up. The next week, wake up at that time and try getting out of bed and making breakfast instead of waking up and going on the phone or checking emails, and so on and so forth until the goal of waking up and working out is achieved.
The new season can bring about all kinds of change, not just in the weather but in brain function and activity. Taking care of yourself in small ways can contribute to the bigger picture of overall positive mental health, whether it is by expressing your emotions and thoughts, making daunting tasks easier to accomplish, or trying something new.