Declutter Your Mind This Spring
How we think affects our day to day life, even if we are having a “simple non-eventful” day we can get “stuck” feeling overwhelmed by what happened in the past, or what we have to do in the future. Everyone struggles with their thoughts and it affects the way we work and how we focus. It can take a toll on relationships with friends, family and loved ones, even if it's not intentional.. Though our brain is different from one another in our thought patterns, there are ways to cope that can be implemented in your everyday life that might be worth a try.
Practicing mindfulness can improve you day to day Life. Mindfulness is the idea of being aware of the Present moment rather than the past and future. Mindfulness can benefit you in many ways, it can Reduce stress and anxiety, improve cognitive
Ability, increase a sense of self and well-being And overall improve quality of life.
How do I practice mindfulness?
Sitting meditation. Sit comfortably with your back straight, feet flat on the floor and hands in your lap. Breathing through your nose, focus on your breath moving in and out of your body. If physical sensations or thoughts interrupt your meditation, note the experience and then return your focus to your breath.
Walking meditation. Find a quiet place, focus on the experience of walking, being aware of the sensations of standing and the subtle movements that keep your balance. When you reach the end of your path, turn and continue walking, maintaining awareness of your sensations.
Focus on your breathing. When you have negative thoughts, try to sit down, take a deep breath and close your eyes. Focus on your breath as it moves in and out of your body. Sitting and breathing for even just a minute can help.
Pay attention. It's hard to slow down and notice things in a busy world. Try to take the time to experience your environment with all of your senses — touch, sound, sight, smell and taste. For example, when you eat a favorite food, take the time to smell, taste and truly enjoy it.
Live in the moment. Try to intentionally bring an open, accepting and discerning attention to everything you do. Find joy in simple pleasures.
Accept yourself. Treat yourself the way you would treat a good friend.
Mindfulness exercises - Mayo Clinic
How your space affects your mind.
Your space is a ultimately a reflection of your mind
How you treat your space affects the way you treat
Yourself in a number of ways, you could feel like you
Don’t have enough time to do everything you need to
Get done, lose things more frequently and just feel
Unhappy in your space feeling unmotivated and lost
On where to start which affect your stress levels significantly. First you should set small obtainable
Goals try to plan beforehand set a time, or put it on On your schedule this can help you feel more
Organized. You can also try to get rid of things that don’t hold value into you life anymore
You can donate, have a garage sale or giveaway to family or friends. Taking care of your home can leave you feeling like you have a fresh start, and a feeling of accomplishment no matter how small the task. Sometimes we don’t have the motivation to do these things for our home and for ourselves try listening to music, podcasts, or play an interesting but not interesting \enough show or movie in the background to avoid getting distracted. Make sure to take breaks when needed and remember that it's okay to not get everything done at once you’re only human and are trying your very best.
How what you put into your body affects the mind.
Taking care of your mind also means taking care of your body. The food we eat and the stuff we put into our body’s everyday affects our daily lives and how you feel. I don’t believe you’ll meet a single person who hasn’t at least tried fast food, though it might seem like a quick and easy alternative after a long day and the fastest solution in our busy everyday lives but ultimately it won’t always give you the nutrients and energy you need for the day. What we eat and consume directly impacts our mood. If you eat “too much” or “too little” it can take a toll on your energy and motivation. The most harmful things you can consume are caffeine, sugar and alcoholic beverages. Caffeine can affect how you sleep at night, increase your heart rate, though it's not tied to anxiety it can definitely worsen the symptoms.
Some tips that can help you take care of your Mind and body with what you consume is Attempting to fit all food groups into your meals Throughout the day or when you make homemade Meals make sure you have enough for leftovers You can take it to work, school dinner ect
Depending on your daily schedule. Start Reducing your caffeine intake even if its a minor change. Try to make water your drink of choice. How the food you eat affects your brain - Mia Nacamulli
Work/Life Balance
Questions to ask yourself
Do you feel like you’ve lost control of your life?
Do you often feel guilty about neglecting certain roles in your life?
Do you frequently find it difficult to concentrate on the task at hand?
Do you often feel burnt out and tired
Tips for staying in balance
AT WORK
• Schedule brief breaks for yourself throughout the day. Your productivity and effectiveness will increase if you take even a ten-minute break every two hours and overall, you will get more accomplished.
• At the end of each day, set your priorities for the following day. Be realistic about what you can achieve in the time you have available.
• Only respond to email once or twice a day. Then, shut off your email program to avoid being distracted as messages come in.
• Make a distinction between work and the rest of your life. Protect your private time by turning off electronic communications. Don’t be available 24/7.
AT HOME
• Create a buffer between work and home. After work, take a brief walk, do a crossword puzzle, or listen to some music before beginning the evening’s routine.
• Decide what chores can be shared or let go. Determine which household chores are critical and which can be done by someone else. Let the rest go.
• Exercise. Even if it’s only for 15 minutes at a time, you’ll feel more energized and refreshed.
• Create and implement a household budget. Start by setting aside some money from each pay cheque for the future.
IN THE COMMUNITY
• Make choices. Social, community and volunteer obligations pull us in many directions. Choose the ones that are most fulfilling and learn to say “no” to the rest.
Get Support by your employer by:
Being clear on what it is you need to ensure work-life balance
Researching the programs, policies and benefits available
Providing examples of practices that have worked in the past
Some of the options that might be available include:
Flexible hours – flexible start and end times
Telecommuting – working from home
Job sharing – splitting a full-time job with another employee
Graduated return – gradually building up to a full-time schedule after a leave
A global study by AC Nielsen, more than half of people making New Year’s resolutions for 2007 aimed for a better work-life balance.
We all have mental health. And just like our physical health, we need to take care of it – which means reducing harmful stress.
According to Statistics Canada, employees who considered most of their days to be quite a bit or extremely stressful were over three times more likely to suffer a major depressive episode, compared with those who reported low levels of general stress.
Take an important step towards protecting your mental health by bringing all aspects of your life into balance.
Work-life Balance: Make it your business - CMHA National
