Planting Healthy Habits This Spring

My clients know that one of the common examples I use in my sessions is how we need to pull weeds out of the garden we tend to.  Looking and growing beautiful flowers is wonderful but having healthy soil is imperative for overall success. The same is true for our mental health and the growth mindset that we can encourage within.

Spring is often associated with renewal, fresh start, and progress. When we can focus our energy and growth toward our minds an bodies we are more likely to feel positive effects with our emotional well-being and growth. With spring starting this week, we will discuss and review a few healthy tips to tend to your own mental health garden. 

Mind and Body Connection

Our mind and body can thrive when both work in unison toward healthy positive goals.  Both benefit from healthy eating, restful sleep, daily water intake, and daily movements.  With emphasis on consistency and not perfection, we can strive for a recipe that's best for our emotional and physical well-being.
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All of that being said, some days and periods are less optimal and we might have difficulties reaching one of these daily goals.  Maybe one morning you have trouble getting out of the door or lack the energy to do a typical workout.  If you need to modify, try some bilateral movements and stretching instead.  We benefit from moving both sides of our body and slowing down our breath to slowly stretch out. Examples like progressive muscle relaxation can also be used when you may have a short break during your day and may help energize you and boost your mood.  If you have trouble getting starting there are many guided versions available online and many insurance companies offer guided options through mental health applications. 

Emotional Connection

Our emotional and physical connection may intertwine to create physical symptoms.  Some examples include night terrors, panic attacks, high emotional dysregulation, stomach issues, muscle tension, headaches, etc.  When physical symptoms occur, it can either occur gradually but we are more likely to notice the sudden shifts.
A primary example of this tendency is with trauma.  With a history of trauma, someone might be more likely to feel physical symptoms and feel the tangible effects of the unprocessed emotions. Back to the gardening example, we can tend to our flowers and everything looks great on the surface but if the weeds are just under the soil they will negatively impact. Individual therapy can assist people with recognizing the symptoms, processing the "weeds" of difficult emotions, and help your garden grow. 

Types of Goals

Spring often dictates that we may spend more time cleaning, organizing, and reviewing goals.  For anyone who created a new years or annual resolution, this may also serve as a time to review and modify goals. We want the goal to be reasonable, obtainable, and measurable.  Remember too that some goals can be measured by emotional progress.   Although there are many ways to start and maintain goals, emotional progress can boost us forward and help boost us into the new season. 

​Progress and growth can often feel overwhelming depending on where we are and our perception of how far we have to go.  I highly recommend focusing on a couple of primary goals and breaking them down, as needed.  For instance, If the goal is to get a new job, the added work and process may feel overwhelming to some.  But, breaking it down with a weekly or daily goal of updating the resume, doing a quick search, and sending out an email may feel more concrete and tangible.  

Take Advantage of Spring

With warmer weather and more daylight hours, spring is a great time for getting outside and increasing interest in more hobbies.  With potentially lighter schedules, spring may also include more travel opportunities and spontaneous outings. Creating and maintaining consistent days with spurts of change can help create a consistent schedule and a healthy growth mindset.  One that says focuses on what we're in charge of, beauty in the daily routine, and on growth ahead, 

Author

Megan Bowling, M.A., LMFT is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She has been in the mental health field for more than ten years and is passionate to share mental health wellness strategies.