When spring arrives, we focus on decluttering our houses to get rid of what we no longer need. But taking care of clutter is equally as important on a mental and emotional level as it is on a physical level. In fact, mental decluttering should be done regularly for optimal health- not only in the springtime! Whether or not you feel your mind is full of mental or emotional clutter, we often suppress emotion and hold on to past beliefs, situations or thoughts that we’re unaware of.
Over time, this information becomes outdated as we transition into new phases of our lives. But when we keep it in our conscience, this information that no longer serves us can weigh us down and discourage us from moving forward in life and achieving greater success in our health, spiritual wellness, careers and relationships.
The good news is that detoxing or “spring cleaning” your mind is very easy to do. And don’t be fooled by the word “cleaning”- you may feel so good after letting go of mental clutter that you’ll want to do it over and over again. Here’s how to feel refreshed this spring by decluttering your mind to invite more positivity and success into your life.
1.Let go of Past Situations
How many thoughts do you think each day that are related to the past in some way? While it’s pleasant to remember joyful experiences, most of the past situations we recall can have an underlying, negative emotional component. As human beings, we tend to hold on to memories of failure, betrayal, past hurt and resentment. Worst of all, the pain attached to these memories can keep us “stuck” and prevent us from moving forward with new experiences. Furthermore, we believe the theory that what you focus on most predominantly is what you invite into your life. This is why it’s so important not to focus on negativity and shift your emotion into a place of positivity by recognizing what is going well in your life at present time.
Doing so will help you become a magnet for bringing more good situations into your life. To let go of negative emotion from past situations, it can help to first acknowledge the negative memory, and then see how you can view it as a positive learning experience instead. By relating the negative situation to a positive outcome it has brought you, you’ll be able to eliminate the negative emotion attached to it more easily.
For example, let’s say you were unexpectedly fired from your job last year. It not only brought you emotional distress, but financial distress too. You still feel resentment towards the situation each time you replay it in your mind. But, when you look at your life at present time, you’re now working for a company that is more in alignment with your personal values, and your new position better reflects your passions.
With your new job came the gifts of more flexibility, creativity and responsibility- which allows you to make an even greater positive impact with your work. In addition, you also receive a higher wage and have made several new friends that you would’ve never met, had you still been employed at your previous job. Now, what’s left to resent? When you can see the gifts a seemingly negative situation has brought you, it can seem like more of a blessing than a negative situation. This allows you to release the negative emotion attached to a painful experience with more ease and appreciation.
2. Write Forgiveness Letters In some cases, it’s easier said than done when it comes to eliminating the negative emotion attached to past experiences- especially when the end result was serious emotional trauma. But there’s magic in practicing forgiveness, which allows you to clear space in your mind emotionally.
Afterall, when you have a grudge, the only person carrying the burden is you. When choosing to forgive a person or situation, you don’t have to say anything out loud or express the forgiveness to anyone but yourself.
How you choose to forgive someone is entirely up to you, and it can be as simple as deciding to do so in your mind. For some people, the forgiveness process can become more efficient and profound when you write an unsent letter to the person or situation you’re forgiving. The letter is meant to be a tool for you to physically release your repressed emotion and thoughts so you can express yourself fully and move on.
If you don’t feel ready to forgive yet, there’s no need to rush the process. You may find it helpful to start by writing an unsent letter that simply expresses your emotion by holding nothing back. This way, you’re still decluttering your mind by getting your thoughts onto paper, rather than holding them in.
3. Take a Technology Break Social media has become a necessary tool to use for modern day communication, whether it’s for business or pleasure. But it does have a way of numbing and distracting us, especially when it comes to avoiding emotional pain and adding to our daily load of mental clutter.
Many of us are on social media for the vast majority of each day, whether it’s to check emails, respond to Facebook messages or scroll through Instagram feeds. Needless to say, it can do a cluttered mind good to take a technology break. Taking a technology break will not only give you a break from mind-clutter, it can also promote less feelings of stress and overwhelm. Going social media-free for the day can be especially helpful if you find that you compare yourself to others based on what their social media posts entail (something many of us are guilty of!).
Giving yourself an allocated break from technology can be the perfect opportunity to make more time for self-care in your routine. Besides, when you feel taken care of, you’ll notice the domino effect on a mental, spiritual, physical and emotional level. So, put away that smartphone, light some candles, take a lavender bubble bath and relax into some “you” time!
4. Clear Out Your Email Inbox Needless to say, clearing out your email inbox should be done on a day other than your technology break day. Nonetheless, cleaning up your email inbox is a mind decluttering task worth mentioning because it’s likely a place you visit each day, and clearing it out can help reduce unnecessary mental stress and anxiety. Getting rid of old emails that you no longer need, or that no longer serve you, can help you feel less weighed down and overwhelmed. You may also want to unsubscribe from email lists or old blogs you no longer read to reduce the amount of clutter and distraction that makes its way to your inbox.
5. Meditate Learning to meditate does not require chanting, special cushions or holding still, upright postures for an extended period of time. Practicing meditation is intended to be an effective way to eliminate mental chatter and distractions and to just be.
The goal of mediation is to let go of fleeting thoughts and silence your mind. In doing so, you can achieve quicker and greater stress relief, a positive mindset and overall increased sense of well-being. Meditation can be as simple as taking deep breaths while laying down and closing your eyes, or simply looking out the window with no distractions. To make the meditation process even more enjoyable and efficient, it can help to use an essential oil with properties said to help clear the mind, such as Rosemary Essential Oil and Clary Sage Essential Oil.