Take Your Cue From Mother Nature

Do you need a mental spring cleaning?

Spring is the time to clean out the old and start fresh. To make plans.
But this year, many of us are missing that spring energy. Instead, we feel powerless and paralyzed.

Are you wondering, “how can I think ahead with so many unknowns?” 
You probably have some mental debris.

I helped a friend plant a vegetable garden last weekend (at proper social distance). It felt so good to clear off leaves and debris, break up hard clods of dirt, pull out weeds, mix in some nutrient rich topsoil. To plant tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, green beans. Little bundles of hope.
 
The garden reminds us: You can’t plant new things without first cleaning out the debris and weeds-- or nothing will grow.      
 
Do you have any of the following thoughts? 

• I have to be the best worker and family member, 24/7.

• I am constantly worried about the job/money I/we have lost or will lose.  

• I am over 60, so I am fragile and helpless.     

How do you feel when you think these thoughts? Ready to creatively solve a problem? Make a new plan? Probably not.
 
Most of us don’t even realize how much these negative thoughts sap our energy.
 
“But,” you say, “things are falling apart!  How can I think otherwise?”
We are all suffering shock and loss. Many things are out of our control.
 
But you can still choose your own actions (or inaction) every moment of the day. Your thoughts and attitudes drive those actions.  
 
In order to take positive action, you need to create positive mental space.
So here are 3 simple tactics to use to start your mental spring cleanup.

1. Shelve the shoulds.
Perfectionism in a pandemic? Who are we kidding? But workaholism is a habit that is hard to break. You have to chip away at it.

How are you treating yourself and those in your work and life? Can you put 20 minutes of exercise or family time--or 5 of deep breathing –in the calendar? Then actually do it once? Then again?       

2. Allow yourself 20 minutes each day to worry.
Then consciously stop. It’s natural to worry. But worry is not an action, and it does not help you take positive steps forward. Keeping it in a “time box” helps you notice when you are doing it, and how it feels to be free of it.

3. Now think of (and maybe write down) 3 things you are grateful for right now. After even a few days of conscious gratitude, you will feel more energy and more room for possibility.    
 
These practices work for me and my clients.
What do you have to lose by trying them?  

I’ll share more in future posts.