Spring Cleaning and Mental Health
Decluttering your mind, body and soul
Flowers are popping back up. The weather is getting warmer. Birds are chirping and returning from their winter migration. Spring is notorious for fresh starts and beginning new. In the cycle of seasons, the cycle of life is reflected. After periods of decay, death, and ends, a season of rebirth, renewal, and rejuvenation takes hold. For many people, this means attacking their closets, cupboards, and garages for the age old spring cleaning. But spring cleaning doesn’t have to just be about cleaning out your spaces – it can also mean cleaning out your mind, focusing on your health, and washing away the sins of your soul.
Renewing your Mind
- Take some time to reflect on your negative thoughts and the attached behaviors. Consider how you can let these negativities go and start anew. Possibly write each one down and toss them in the fire. Alternatively, try journaling about them and reflecting on what goals you want to achieve.
- Straighten up your priorities. Take inventory of all the things you are responsible for and engage with on a daily basis. Which of these things can you let go of? Which of these things can you do less of? What things actually matter? Putting your priorities in order and honoring what matters most to you will allow you to let some things go that don’t serve you.
Refocusing your Body
- Create a self-care routine. It takes 30 days to make a habit, and research suggests we should only try to build 1 or 2 habits at a time. Physical self care could be introducing a new intuitive eating and nutrition plan, exercising more, or getting regular sleep.
- Movement is so important to getting back to equilibrium. Movement can be as big as regular high intensity exercise or as simple as a stroll in your neighborhood. Bonus points if you move outside in the sunshine!
Rejuvenating your Soul
- Find a new (or reintroduce) intentional practice with God. It is so easy to let go of our relationship building and intentionality with the Lord as we go through everyday life. Try 15 minutes of prayer, a new devotional, or 30 minutes of reading your bible. Your soul will thank you for it.
- Reconnect with people through gratitude and appreciation. When we find things we are thankful for in our relationships and share them with those loved ones, we can provide ourselves with our own dopamine hit – which means more happy vibes!
If you are ready to work towards your own personal spring cleaning – looking to bring new growth to your mind, body, and soul, turn to a therapist near you at Anchored Hope Counseling in Kannapolis, NC. Anchored Hope Counseling provides a wide range of therapy services from couples counseling to personal one-on-one sessions. View a list of our offerings online, or schedule a consultation today. If you liked these tips remember to subscribe to our weekly blog for more news and insights.
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Discovering Healing at the Root
A reflection on why we should do the hard work to heal
By Meghan Ray, March 13 2024
Instant Gratification
When we look at today’s society, we see an influx in taking the easy way out. We are living in the generation of “right now” with instantaneous access to everything. You can google the name of that one guy in that one movie in a matter of seconds. I can have anything from books, clothing, groceries, and a Dunkin latte delivered in a matter of minutes. You no longer wait a week for the next episode of your favorite show to drop. Rather you binge an entire series in a matter of a few days. I can even “search find” a phrase of the bible in our ever handy bible apps instead of searching through the text firsthand. Instant gratification, contentment, happiness and knowledge. Everything happens right now and when I want. The time of waiting, working, and devoting time and energy, no longer defines our society.
Application to Therapy
As a therapist, I see this in no better example than in the demand for instantaneous “healing” from our traumas, anxieties, depression, stressors – whatever is plaguing our mental health. We are all looking for a magical phrase or tactic that will change our lives and our emotions overnight. What’s difficult in working with a “right now” society is that healing is not instantaneous. Healing is hard, long, time consuming, and frustrating. It is only when we give it that time and hard work, that we actually get to the root of our problems and heal in a long term substantial way.
The Problem in Mental Health?
One of the biggest issues, to me, in the mentality of wanting right now healing, is the immediate turn to medication. While medication has a time and place in some situations, the chronic referral to medicate to address mental health is on the rise. We are living in the most medicated society of any other developed nation. Why? Because when I have a pill I can take each morning to “fix” my emotions and feelings, then I don’t have to do all the leg work therapy entails. I am “instantaneously” healed. Let me emphasize that there is nothing wrong with medication – it is a very useful tool to help regulate brain chemistry so that clients can be stable enough to do the leg work of therapy. However, when we are only pushing for medication and not therapy we are doing a disservice to our clients and their long term growth.
Turn from Shortcuts
It is in my nature as a therapist to turn my nose down to shortcuts in healing. Shortcuts don’t help us find the things that are plaguing our personal and generational problems. They don’t help us find coping skills and strategies to address these problems long term. Shortcuts don’t help us face the things that are difficult for us and make us grow within that uncomfortably. So whether you have been dealing with mental health issues for years or it something that has just come on to your radar, ask yourself – will instant gratification get me to long term happiness? Will taking the shortcut help me become and sustain the person I want to be?
If you or someone you know has gotten to the point that you are ready to heal from the root and promote a lifetime of sustained stability, turn to Anchored Hope Counseling in Kannapolis, NC. Anchored Hope Counseling provides a wide range of therapy services from couples counseling to personal one-on-one sessions. View a list of our offerings online, or schedule a consultation today. If you liked these tips remember to subscribe to our weekly blog for more news and insights.
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Remember America
A Reflection of September 11, 2001
It’s been a long time since I wrote a blog. Life has been crazy with moving, remodeling, and many other life changes. However, today, it was important for me to take time and reflect on the 20th anniversary of September 11, 2001. Even though you will see many posts today you on reflection and remembrance, I wanted to take the time honor all those affected by sharing what I will never forget about that day and what I hope Americans will always remember.
The terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 forever changed our country like few events ever have, or ever will. Even after 20 years, I will never forget watching the second plane fly into the South Tower with my 8th grade classmates. I will never forget the feeling of terror and heartbreak watching people climb out of the rubble, carrying those who didn’t make it. I will never forget the tears and fear that day.
However, what I remember most about that day was not the shock and terror. It was the unity in the moments and days that followed. I remember being amazed at how an act of terror that was supposed to bring our country to its knees actually made American stronger. We stood united to help those in need. I was in awe of those on Flight 93 who sacrificed their lives to save others. In New York, I remember seeing ordinary citizens in business attire helping first responders pull people from the rubble. In rural North Carolina, you couldn’t drive anywhere without seeing an American flag flying, some even painted their lawns or roof with the “Red, White, and Blue.” Even middle school students put their differences aside and prayed together, helped each other, and shifted their focus on helping in some way. Everywhere you looked, there was amazing amounts of strength, compassion, patriotism, and unity. In the darkest of days, American’s looked beyond labels and stereotypes and just saw each other as American’s, united to honor our fallen and protect our freedom.
These incredible acts of compassion and strength inspired me, and at age 13, taught me what it truly meant to be an American. I understood the importance of my freedoms and how truly blessed I was to be born in the UNITED States of America. For the first time in my life, I saw what true unity looked like and why Americans must always remember to “Stand United.”
Sadly, despite all of the “never forget” posts you will see, I feel that American’s have forgotten to remember the most important part about September 11, 2001. We have forgotten the unity and the compassion for others, despite our differences. Our country seems to be the most divided it has been since the Civil War. Families are splitting over political differences. First responders who were once applauded for their service and courage, are now being called to terminate or de-fund their agencies. Finally, in a country that once valued freedom of choice, speech, and religion, individuals are being “canceled” when they step outside the “norm” or simply just make a mistake.
It is heartbreaking to see how far we have come in 20 years, but I still have a faith and love in this country. I pray that we can stand united again, despite all differences, just to show compassion and love to our fellow countrymen. Therefore my hope, as we reflect on this milestone anniversary, that all American’s will unite and recall the characteristics of this nation that allowed us to rise above the fear and become a stronger nation.
“…I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3 NIV)
De-clutter Your Life: A Christian Perspective
For the past few weeks, I have taken a break from blogging. Why? I needed to take some time for spring cleaning. As many of you know, my husband and I are remodeling a 100 year old house. Whenever the house is finished, we will be downsizing tremendously. Unfortunately, downsizing also mean I need to de-clutter and clean out. Throughout this process, I have had to box up the essential items that we will be putting into our new home and selling or throwing out anything that is no longer needed. Before, I started this process, I always thought that I lived simply and never considered myself materialistic. However, the more I sort through cabinets and drawers, I am finding that I have still collected a ton of unnecessary things over the last decade and that I should have made it a point to de-clutter on a regular basis.
With all of the spring cleaning the past few weeks, I was reminded how our messy our lives can be when we forget to take time to de-clutter our lives and schedules and how “too much stuff” can be overwhelming to our mental and spiritual health. To find balance to your mental and spiritual health, here are 3 tips to de-clutter your life.
1. Get rid of the non-essentials:
Just like when you are spring cleaning, you have to start by sorting through the clutter and prioritize what needs to stay and what needs to go. Start this process by asking yourself the following questions.
“What feels like too much in my life today?”
“Do I have trouble getting rid of things I don’t use regularly “just in case” I need them later? Do these “just in case” items bless or burden me?”
“What is causing the most clutter in my life, possessions, over scheduling, or digital devices?”
“Does my stuff fit my space? Does it fit my needs and the needs of those who share my space? If not, what is one concrete step I can take this week toward eliminating physical clutter?
“What can I get rid of today to feel more peace?”
2. Stop putting your trust in stuff:
Matthew 6:19-21 states: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (ESV).
Basically, this verse explains that our safety and security must not be rooted in material items because ultimately they do not last. Having the best stuff or most stuff does not make us better because those things have to always be replaced. Instead, this verse tells us to focus on our heavenly treasures by putting our focus on God and how we can live our life for him.
Remember, God doesn’t care for how many possessions we have and often chooses not to “bless” with an abundance of things; I don’t know about you, but my prayers to find $1,000,000 has never been answered! Instead He reminds us that possessions must never be our utmost concern, that our needs will be met and in return, he points us toward caring for others. The less stuff we have to manage, the more we can fulfill our purpose.
3. Take break from Technology:
Technology can be a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, I love to easily be able to reach people all over the world within minutes and quickly ordering from Amazon is often much faster and easier than going to the store. However, social media addiction, looking at our phones instead of our family, web surfing time warps, and the instant gratification of likes and followers, can consume and clutter our lives. As a result, de-cluttering our lives often means de-cluttering our digital devices. I am not saying you have to get rid of your smartphones and tablets, but you may need to evaluate your time on your devices to see if it is causing your life to be cluttered.
Back in January, I made the decision to completely delete social media off of my phone and any non-essential apps. By doing so, I felt freer and even found myself with more free time in the evenings. I didn’t realize how much time I spent mindlessly scrolling through apps on my phone. By this simple task, I was able to free my soul and made space for my family, real friendships, and rest.
Ultimately, remember that clutter doesn’t have to be physical things. Work, family, housework, school, technology, and over committed calendars can lead to cluttered lives. This spring, take the opportunity to de-clutter your life through some spring cleaning. Little by little, you will learn what is truly essential in your life and will begin to let go of the non-essential “junk.” As a result, you will be able to reap the benefits of simplicity with calmer hearts, deeper relationships, and a joyful purpose.
If you want to de-clutter your life and need some help sorting through the essentials, turn to Anchored Hope Counseling in Kannapolis, NC. Anchored Hope Counseling provides a wide range of therapy services from couples counseling to personal one-on-one sessions. View a list of our offerings online, or click here to schedule a consultation today. If you liked these tips remember to subscribe to our weekly blog for more news and insights.
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