Mental Health: Housekeeping Your Thoughts for Happiness & Optimal Wellness
For your own mental health, you must be a dedicated housekeeper of your thoughts for your happiness and optimal wellness. A recent conversation with a friend crossed my mind today. Days later it struck me how much energy they were devoting to thinking about something they hate. This upcoming event didn’t directly affect them in any way, yet it occupied invaluable space in their mind, and I could feel how it was zapping their energy and steeping them in negativity.
We must be the mental housekeepers of our own minds. What we focus on grows. Period. Positive or negative, things we detest and dread or our biggest dreams, we have a choice. When you learn to fill your mind so full of what you love, your goals and dreams, and the beauty surrounding you in the present, there becomes no space for anything else, and you begin making choices that support your own growth and momentum.
You’ve likely noticed that our thought patterns are contagious: when we focus on seeing the good, that trend gains momentum and we notice positive things all around us; when we focus on the bad, that becomes what enters our awareness and we often spiral into a darker state of mind over time, or even depression.
Great News! You have the power to choose and to change. Catch yourself in the moment, and change it. Practice leads to mastery.
Worry is negative prayer. That was a huge turning point in my journey, when my therapist shared this perspective. It’s so true.
When we talk about manifesting, we’re talking about this energy. What is available to us in life is a direct result of the thoughts and energy we put out.
Meditation is a powerful tool to begin shifting this. Find a guided meditation, and listen to it every day. Even better, listen when you awake and before bed. Train the direction of your thoughts. You will notice a change quickly.
We are human, and we will falter and struggle at times. Just as in meditation, let it go and get back on track. It’s really that easy. If you’re stuck, try these things to shift out of it: exercise, take a walk, change your environment for an afternoon, talk with a friend, book a massage or bodywork, book a session with your therapist or coach, get consumed by the music you love. Just don’t get stuck. Your mental health is worth it. How will you train and monitor your thoughts to prioritize your happiness and optimal wellness?