Spring is here! And with the longer days, warmer weather, and blossoming foliage, the new season often signifies rebirth and renewal. We often hear about spring cleaning when it comes to decluttering our physical spaces and making room for what’s new. But what about our minds?
It’s just as important to declutter our mindsets so we can not only welcome what the new season brings but so that we’re emotionally prepared to handle the new changes.
Here are 3 ways to start Spring Cleaning your mindset:
- Make Space – in the same way that we may accumulate more stuff around our homes, we also start to stockpile mental and emotional baggage. This might look like negative self-talk or assumptions about what we can achieve or even additional obligations we’ve agreed to take on. Spring is the perfect time to release the things that are no longer serving us and make space for what’s coming.
- Small steps – it can sometimes feel difficult to regain our motivation when shifting from winter to spring. Winter is all about hibernation and resting so it’s natural to take some time to switch into that springtime energy. One way to reduce overwhelm and jumpstart motivation is to focus on taking small, imperfect steps forward. You don’t have to tackle the entire goal at one time, just start with any small step that can begin moving you forward. Imperfect action steps lead to clarity which leads to you having more confidence in what you’re doing which allows you to keep taking more action steps.
- Focus on delight – Spring is a time when nature is blooming. Think about how you can bring some of that fresh, sun-lit, easy energy into your life for yourself. You’ve already done the work of releasing what isn’t working for you, now you want to fill that space with things and activities that really light you up. When it comes to those imperfect action steps or the plans you’re creating for yourself, focus on what would be easy or interesting or just plain fun!
In many traditions, the changing of seasons is the perfect time to check in with yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. It feels natural to turn that attention to the physical parts of ourselves or the external world, but we want to make sure we’re also paying just as much attention, if not more, to our mental and emotional health.
What’s your favorite way to declutter your mindset to make space for the renewal that spring brings?
NAILAH BLADES
Community Leader
A marketing consultant and leadership coach, Nailah never thought of herself as an outdoorsy person. But when she found herself dealing with the stresses of building a new business, being a new mother, and living in a new state away from all her family and friends, she and her husband started exploring local trails. It was an epiphany. The outdoors helped her slow down, listen to her heart, and reconnect with her passion.
