During the Winter season, many of us have a tendency to develop some bad habits. We’re more likely to turn a blind eye on projects that need finished. We’re more likely to gravitate toward heavier meals and unhealthier snacks. We’re more likely to sit around under a cozy blanket than we are to get some exercise. It all adds up.
Then, Springtime rolls in and hits us like a truck! We want to finish those projects finally, but we feel too stuck in the planning phase. We want to eat healthier, but we feel too addicted to the salt and the sugar. We want to go outside and move our bodies, but we feel too fatigued to do it. It’s time for some “Spring cleaning.”
The idea of Spring cleaning can apply to so much more than just our homes. Yes, we should definitely dust those baseboards and tidy up those oft-ignored closets, but this kind of cleaning won’t give us the positive long-term changes we are seeking. The underlying reason we sometimes can’t shake those Winter blues is our negative thought patterns.
Negative thought patterns get dusty and habitual, and they directly influence the behaviors we want to change. Perhaps you’ve experienced negative thoughts like:
- “I’ll never have time to actually finish this/that project once I start it.”
- “Healthy food never tastes as good as unhealthy food does.”
- “I don’t like my body / the way my body looks and feels.”
- “I’m just not an athletic person.”
- “This/that is way too hard for me to take seriously.”
These mental habits have overstayed their welcome. Too dusty, too disorganized! Our internal dialogue fuels our external choices. If we really want to experience long-term positive change, we’ve got to do some Spring cleaning on our thought patterns. This can look different for each person, but here are some accessible ideas to start.
- Positive mantras like, “I can do this,” “One step at a time,” and “Progress over perfection” are like a Swiffer wet mop for your mind. Practice challenging your negative thoughts with a positive mantra, even saying it out loud this week.
- Walks outside, even for short periods of 10-15 minutes, are like a set of new plastic organizer containers for your feelings-closet. Try to get 3-4 walks in this week.
- Talk to a counselor about the harder thoughts to shake. Even if they don’t feel “that bad,” counseling can be as much a preventative tool as it is interventive. Reach out to a local counselor this week.
If you or someone you know needs additional support to clean away those negative thought patterns, The Willow Center team his here for you – give us a call.
Written by Chase Cotten, Community Director
