5 Ways to Refresh Your Mind for Spring

Decluttering the house feels great, but now's also be a good time to "spring clean" your brain. Doing so can help promote mental health and instill good habits moving forward.

Let's take five minutes to see this week in a new light. By Wendy Rose Gould & Amy Morin, LCSW, Editor-in-Chief Top of Mind How to Refresh Your Mind for Spring As we officially enter spring, you may have grand goals of tackling major organizational projects in your home like the garage, pantry, or series of junk drawers. Decluttering the house feels great, but now's also a good time to "spring clean" your brain. Doing so can help promote mental health and instill good habits moving forward. A cleanup of your mind and brain can really help you feel like you are starting the season with a clean slate." — KENDRA CHERRY, MS   Ways to Spring Clean Your Brain  Spring cleaning implies fresh starts, less clutter, and making sure all's in order. The same is true when it comes to spring cleaning your mind. Declutter your online life and social media feeds. This is a good opportunity to assess what sort of posts you're seeing and interacting with, how much time you spend online, and your news consumption. Prioritize monotasking versus multitasking. It's OK to focus on one item at a time, and research even tells us that doing so is a boon to productivity and mental health. Plan upcoming vacation and "mental health" days. It's far too easy to neglect our PTO, and before we know it the end of the year has arrived and there's piled-up unused hours. Planning ahead—even if it's just a long weekend here or there—ensures you get the days off you deserve. Set aside time to meditate. Meditation is simpler than you may think and doesn't require much time at all. Set aside 5 to 15 minutes to meditate per day. Doing so can help clear your mind and promote better mental clarity, reduce stress, and increase life satisfaction. Start a journal. Journaling can help you make sense of confusing  feelings, release spiraling thoughts, reduce overthinking, and help you find joy in the small things. Aim for 10 to 20 minutes of journaling per week, whatever that may look like to you. If you don't enjoy writing, consider a bullet journal. Make time for sleep. Getting a good night's sleep is important to both our physical health and mental well-being. Check out these top-rated sleep apps that can improve your shut-eye. On the Bright Side Ways to Stay Positive This Week Ways to Nurture Your Mind and Body  This week, take stock of your existing daily and weekly routines. Where are some areas that you can make better use of your time? How can you add self-care to your routine to ensure you're taking care of your mind and body? Note how these changes make you feel and commit to making small changes over time that improve your well-being. The Vibe Check Deck offers reminders and action-oriented prompts. The goal is to help you incorporate mood-boosting habits into your daily routine. Add The Happiness Lab podcast to your current lineup. Hosted by Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos, each episode aims to alter the way you think about happiness so you can feel better. Episode topics include everything from fighting that 'meh' feeling to discussing the kindness of strangers. Check out our favorite stress relief products for more options that can help you feel relaxed. This Week on The Verywell Mind Podcast On tomorrow's episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast, I talk with couples therapist Jenn Mann. Tune in to learn about the communication mistakes most couples make, and how to overcome them.    Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts / RSS Read These Next Decluttering Your Home Might Help You Declutter Your Mind READ NOW Stress Relief Techniques for Every Type of Stress READ NOW 5 More Ways to Cleanse Your Mind and Body READ NOW Spread the Light Share the newsletter with someone you know to make their day a little brighter. SHARE We're open to suggestions! If you have any feedback about this newsletter, let us know at feedback@verywell.com. You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Healthy Mind newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here. If someone forwarded you this email, you can subscribe here!   A DOTDASH MEREDITH BRAND 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10005   © 2022 Verywellmind.com - All rights reserved. Privacy Policy