Clean Your Mental House

Have you ever felt like your brain is in overdrive? You have so many things to juggle and keep in check as a working woman. You work two jobs every day – your 9 to 5 and your home job which may include being a wife and/or a mom. The to-do list can be endless and it can all be so draining. You neglect yourself and your mental house is often in shambles. Well it is fall cleaning; and it is time to clean your mental house! 

Statistics show that we have up to 70,000 thoughts a day and the majority of them are negative and repetitive. That’s right, we naturally think more negative thoughts and we replay them in our minds. The same way we  declutter or clean a room, it is time to clear those negative thoughts out of your mind and change your mindset. Your mental house is the most important house you have.

The mindset or a person’s way of thinking and their opinions is an important factor in determining what you do in life and how you deal with difficulties.  Sidney Madwed says, “ If constructive thoughts are planted positive outcomes will be the result. Plant the seeds of failure and failure will follow.” It has been said that if you change your mindset, you can change your life.

So how do we plant constructive thoughts and stop the negative speech and mindset in our lives? There are 5 Steps to C.L.E.A.N your Mental House:

Step 1: Challenge Your Thoughts

As women we are emotional creatures and sometimes we let our emotions drive the car.  It is so easy to think a negative thought or to be emotional in our thinking. You must challenge those thoughts and take the time to think logically. Ask yourself if a thought is accurate or rational? Many times after an evaluation or challenge you will find that you are exaggerating a bit and not thinking logically. 

Step 2: Let Go of the Past

One of the biggest things that clutters your mind is the past. Past mistakes, past hurts, past failures. Your past does not determine your future. Shannon Alder says, “There comes a time in your life when you have to choose to turn the page, write another book or simply close it.” Use the lessons learned as your stepping stones forward.

Step 3: Eliminate the Mindset of Can’t

Growing up my dad would tell me that can’t wasn’t a word. He told me that there is nothing that I can’t do, if I put my mind to it. Can’t is a limiting word and there are no limits to what you can do. Can’t is a toxic word to your mental house. You must replace that word and mindset with “I can” and a growth mindset.

Step 4: Ask a Close Friend

We tend to see situations and things much harsher than they really are in reality. It is good to have someone who knows you well to ask for their perspective on situations. Sometimes we can get in our heads and a friend is a good person to help get us out of our own way.

Step 5: Nurture Positive Thoughts

It is imperative to nurture positivity in your mind so it will grow. We are not what we eat, but what we think. Positive self-talk, the use of affirmations, surrounding yourself with positive people – these are all ways to usher positive vibes into your mental space.

It is time to clean your mental house. The way you think can create good or bad results in your life. James Allen says, “You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.” Start today by taking the 5 Steps to C.L.E.A.N your mental house and see where your thoughts will take you.