If spring cleaning isn’t for you then perhaps you need a mind declutter.. when life gets too crowded, energy pours out in every direction like a burst pipe, problems pile up, demands are high, and you are just worn out. This can leave you feeling depleted, overwhelmed, used up, fragmented, out of control, and discontent. These are signs that you have become disconnected from yourself. It’s time for a reset!
Here are some ideas you could try if you are in need of a reset..
1. Have real conversations with intimate friends or your partner – catch up with friends over the phone rather than email or text or even better over dinner or a coffee! Just give them your full attention for half an hour or a couple of hours if you can spare them.
2. Write / Journal – you could keep a gratitude list, write down what is going around in your mind or if you have a bit more time you could try writing to yourself as if you were writing to a friend and think about what you say back to them. No one is going to read it so don’t overthink it!
3. Travel – travelling further and actually taking trips by plane or train can give you even more of this perspective, but if you don’t have the time or money for that, then just get in the car and take a drive or go for a walk.
3. Turn off technology – or a least leave your phone in another room, you don’t need to become a digital hermit. Just train yourself to pick up your phone, tablet or laptop when you need/want to be productive rather than to fill time.
4. Check your diet – sounds pretty basic but sometimes when you’re lacking in energy it’s too easy to reach for sugar and caffeine. Try to be more mindful of what you are eating and why. Look for different ways to boost your energy, there are so many healthy food and drink alternatives available now in the shops.
5. Walk outside – or just sit somewhere, let your mind wander, let your thoughts wash over you, maybe take a notebook and see what happens..
6. Sleep – this is pretty important but this is another basic practise that will improve your mood no end. Sleep Hygiene is a term I wasn’t familiar with but in a nutshell beds are for sleeping and sex – not reading (sigh..), not talking, not watching box sets, not for eating breakfast in (I wish) and certainly not for checking social media. Ensure your bed is comfortable and the room is relatively clutter free, eat several hours before you sleep and limit alcohol and caffeine.
7. Find time to play – whatever activity makes you laugh, have fun with friends, your partner or your children and just find time to be silly!
8. Focus on what matters and cut out what’s not working – list your top 5 things and focus on those, this list could change every day or every week. Everything else outside your top 5 shouldn’t take priority so don’t do them. Keep a note of them in case you want them to become one of your top 5 tomorrow or next week, don’t waste time trying to do everything, for everyone.
9. Think / self honesty – take some time out and remind yourself of what’s really important to you. What are your core values? Are your activities in keeping with those values? Do you feel good about what you do, how you are behaving, who you keep company with, how you express yourself, or how you treat yourself? It’s good to check in once in awhile and make sure that your life is in line with what you believe in and what you feel is really worthwhile (see no. 8). It’s easy to get on life’s treadmill and lose track of it’s meaning.
10. Meditation or be still for 10 minutes – not always an easy one but you could just sit, have a cup of tea and gaze out of the window..
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