Spring Cleaning For the Mind

The return to sunshine  and lighter, longer days is usually an uplifting thing.  We feel more hopeful, more alive than those dark days of winter.  We want to renew and refresh our homes and sometimes our lives.  However for some of us we don’t feel that renewed energy – we just feel worse that we don’t.  Happiness sometimes can seem, by some as overrated. As long as they can put one foot in front of the other they will be ok.  But isn’t life supposed to be enjoyed and not just endured?

“If you have health, you probably will be happy and if you have health and happiness, you have all the wealth you need, even if it is not all you want”. – Elbert Hubbard

But sometimes being happy and having peace of mind is easier said than done as we live in difficult times and sometimes that, together with a difficult past, can make it hard to know how to move forward and to find a peace in our lives.

Some of the feelings that we can experience are:

Stress and Anxiety:

Sometimes the pressures we are under can become overwhelming and difficult to cope with. Anxiety can manifest itself in a variety of ways leaving us feeling scared and unable to cope.

Confidence and Self Esteem:

Sometimes life events erode our self-esteem, which in turn shakes our confidence and colours how we see and approach life. There is a saying “if we believe we can’t we can’t and if we believe we can we can”.

Anger:

Anger is a basic emotion but when it is explosive, sustained or suppressed it causes us problems in our daily lives. By uncovering and dealing with the cause of our anger we can lead healthier lives.

Depression:

Sometimes we find ourselves feeling down and are unable to detach ourselves from these feelings. This can develop into blackness that is depression.  This makes it difficult to see the way forward and seem that there is little point in anything.  

Excess and Addiction:

Sometimes doing things to excess can be ok – on occasions – but not if it interferes with our life or the lives of those close to us.

Doing things to excess, whether its eating, drinking, gambling or taking substances, is just a prop to cover up what is really hurting us. The pain of watching those we love fall apart can also sometimes be as painful as the excess itself.

Counselling can provide a confidential opportunity to explore thoughts and feelings in a safe environment. Taking Just One Small Step can help you, to help yourself, to find the inner resources you need to clear out the old beliefs that keep you stuck and make sense of things.  Leaving you to lead a healthy life both inside and out.

“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” (Steven Kloves).