By Samantha Lambert, Reviewed by Audrey Jung
March signifies the changing of the seasons. As we leave the cold of the winter months and transition into the blooming spring—our mental health may be affected in different ways, too. Any transitional period can cause added stressors, so we can find importance in monitoring our mental health around this time.
Specifically, spring has a connotation of being the opportunity for a break from the trials and tribulations of everyday life. Phrases such as “spring break” and “spring cleaning” create a general feeling that we may all be taking a sigh of relief as the seasons change.
But this is not true for everyone, and it puts pressure on the majority to feel a sense of alleviation that may not be true to them. We cannot always get time off of work or plan a fun vacation to celebrate this seasonal change. What we can practice, however, is how to take time for ourselves, celebrating how far we’ve come and all that we have accomplished.
Hopefully, by learning ways to actively embrace ourselves we can all begin to see a light at the end of the winter tunnel. Internal peace does not have to come from the presence of external objects or plans, it can come from within you.
Spring Clean Your Mind
The first way to start embracing the new season is by ridding your mind of negative self-talk. It is common today to have negative thoughts about ourselves, often driven by impossible expectations that are perpetuated through media. Those thoughts may pile up and create a mound of clutter within our minds.
One way to embrace the season is to de-clutter the mind.
How do you do that?
By encouraging positivity. Engaging in the practice of optimism and finding the good in things can help to take a metaphoric weight off of one’s shoulders. Through this, one can then notice a change in attitude and behavior as positivity grows. Doing our own internal version of “spring cleaning” can turn into increased levels of self-positivity.
But How Do You Do This?
There are many ways to shift mindset towards positivity and leave negative thoughts in the dreary winter months. These methods do not have to be time-consuming or costly, all you need is the desire to grow and change in a positive direction. Here are some things we can do to help invite positivity into our lives…
- Challenge self-critical thoughts by asking: Would I say this to a friend?
- Practice Gratitude Daily: Write down three things you’re grateful for each day.
- Set Healthy Boundaries: Say no to things that drain you.
- Engage in Activities That Make You Feel Good: Read, paint, dance, or take a walk
- Recognize progress, no matter how small
- Positive Affirmations: Say things like: I am worthy of love and kindness
- Limit Comparison & Social Media Triggers: Unfollow accounts that make you feel inadequate.
It may not all come at once, and it may take practice to incorporate these habits into daily life. Any step, big or small, is something to be proud of. Negative thoughts may remain, but the lens at which we view them may change. That is what can be beneficial. By recognizing that the thought is there, you can then acknowledge that it doesn’t have the same hold over you as it once did. You are viewing these thoughts from a farther perspective, and a more diffused lens. That, too, is a great step forward in the journey of positivity.
This is a Month of Celebration and Growth. March is a time to celebrate yourselves and your mental health journey. You are worthy of positivity, and the refreshing qualities of spring can be experienced internally. Encourage consistency and self-love throughout this month, setting the stage for continued growth and wellness.