It is normal to keep pushing things to the back-burners of our minds as the

needs of life become more demanding. When it’s time to address those

needs and clean out the mental clutter, it can often feel like we don’t know

where to start.

It may seem counterintuitive, but looking to the past and letting things go

can be a rewarding first step in the pursuit of clear-headedness. Releasing

ourselves from unwanted habits, setting ourselves up for future successes

and identifying positive things around us allows us to make room for uplifting

thoughts. We all deserve to feel as refreshed and rejuvenated as when we

reorganized the hall closet, so let’s talk about some ways we can get there!

Reflect. Respect. Release.

Sometimes, we get bogged down in the ruminating thoughts of our past

decisions when, in reality, the most important decision we can make is

wellness in the now. Deciding to take time for ourselves and clear our heads is

an act of self-care and should be celebrated as an achievement of personal

wellness.

Respecting and ultimately releasing our past selves leaves us with a clean

slate to build better habits for our future selves! That’s a huge step in the right

direction and those feelings of accomplishment add up to a better self-image!

Happy Habits

Identifying the habits in our life that contribute to our daily stressors is an

important part of cleaning out the clutter. Practices such as getting enough

sleep and setting timers for brain breaks allow us to feel a sense of control in

our environment. Taking breaks is an especially effective and rewarding task

when done earnestly.

Lynn Bufka, a senior director at the American Psychological Association, says

it’s a natural human tendency to jump into a personal to-do list when we are

supposed to be relaxing our mind, and this can be just as bad for our brains as

solid work would have been.

When taking a break, truly disconnect from any task that seems like “work”

and enjoy the moment. This can be time for coffee or tea, a quick chat with a

friend or even a walk around the neighborhood. The important thing is

establishing simple, healthy habits that feel good to do. These easy “wins”

throughout the day fuel positive change and set us up for success in tangible

and manageable ways!

Friend of the Future

Keeping up with healthy boundaries is a gift we give our future selves. Asking

what kind of healthy boundaries we can be setting for ourselves keeps us in a

progressive headspace that fuels us to complete our challenging tasks.

Looking toward the future and anticipating what our needs may be is a great

practice for staying ahead of our mental fatigues. When we feel we are

getting close to a stressor, giving ourselves the permission to disengage is

sometimes all we need so we can get back on a positive track again!

Pleasant in the Present

Bright sunshine flowing in a window, really good cups of coffee made just the

way we like and good chats with people who are on our wavelength are all

silver linings to the troubles a stormy day might bring. Doing something for

ourselves to perk us up and remind us of the things we love is self-care at it’s

finest. Once we have released ourselves from stubborn thoughts, set

ourselves up for future successes and identified gratifying things around us,

we are already well on our way to utilizing our decluttered mind to the fullest.

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