As baby birds are hatching, the bees are buzzing, and the flowers are blooming, something inside of us is going to emerge as well…stress! We live in a “go, go, go” world, having little time to get done what needs to be done, let alone stopping to smell the roses. Yet, we always seem to be on the hunt for “relaxing” or “stress-relieving” methods, which, ironically, can be done with something as simple as stopping to smell the roses.
Clear schedule, clear mind. Simple.
Trick: Suss Out Time Sucks. First off, what? Time sucks are hours, minutes, or even seconds in your day that you are not using in a beneficial manner.
Challenge: For one week, take 30 minutes at the end of your day to look back on your past 16 hours or so (from when you wake, to when you lie down), and write down everything you did for that day. You will soon realize how much of your time is wasted each day on social media, television, and other mind-numbing tasks, that you could be being productive.
What’s trash, is trash. Clear your clutter.
Trick: Differentiate between Treasure and Toss-Able. The costume jewelry that your grandmother left you? Treasure. The Lisa Frank diary from 2nd grade, with poorly drawn unicorns and “I love Johnny” written all over? Toss-Able. Some items may seem like they hold tremendous value, but in all actuality, you don’t need it to remember all the good times that went with it.
Challenge: Take this scenario as a starting point. Lightning hit a tree in your yard, causing a fire, creating an enormous monster of fire and rage, leaving nothing in its wake, including your house. Thanks to amazing insurance and the support of your community, you are in a new home in no time. Now, what are the first things you will buy, apart from the necessities like clothes and a bed? These are the items will be the “Treasure”. All else that does not fit will be the “Toss-Able”.
Clear your mind.
Trick: Control only what is possible. This one is pretty self-explanatory. You can only do what you can do, no more, no less. So why worry about things that are not even possible? It is a negative attribute that each and every one of us has, and we need to learn to let go of will not be, and focus on what will.
Challenge (Hint-it involves more writing): After you have written down all that you have done in your waking moments for the day, take the next five minutes to write down everything that you worried about that day as well. You will be shocked by two things:
- Just how many things you worry about in a given day
- How many of those things are completely irrational, and only cause more stress
Visually seeing what it is that worries you may help with that worry, yes, but it is also going to help you stop stressing over the little things in your life that you have no control over, and consequently, freeing your mind of excess negativity.
View the full article on spring cleaning your life on www.huffingtonpost.com!