Spring Clean Your Brain

Spring is a time of renewal and cleansing.  We watch new buds form.  We spruce up our gardens and flowerbeds.  We clean our homes to make things fresh and new.  Drawing inspiration from experts like Marie Kondo, spring encourages us to simplify.  We find ourselves with excess clutter and have the urge to streamline our lives.  While we clean our physical space, remember your brain gets benefits from getting your house in order as well.  Simplifying, decluttering, and reorganizing helps calm our minds and gives us a sense of accomplishment.  What if we could take this inspiration and spring clean our minds? There are brighter days ahead, so let’s start fresh!

Sleep, the Ultimate Brain Cleanse

One of the most important ways to give your brain a good spring cleaning is to consistently get good sleep.  When we sleep, and sleep deeply, our brains flush out all the toxins we’ve accumulated during the day.  REM sleep is a valuable tool for resting our bodies.  However, science has determined that SWS sleep, or slow wave sleep, is the best sleep for detoxing your brain.  During SWS sleep our blood volume decreases and that space is filled with cerebrospinal fluid which rids us of toxic waste in our brains.  For more information on the importance of SWS sleep, click HERE now.

Not getting good, quality sleep causes us to handle stress less effectively and contributes to diseases such as obesity and heart disease.  Continual lack of sleep can eventually lead to lasting brain damage because important regions in the brain can be damaged without proper rest.  Good sleep improves memory and energy levels, help you gain clarity and get your brain ready for its spring clean.  For tips to better sleep visit HERE now.

Other helpful ways we can cleanse our brains just in time for spring:

• Exercise.  We’re all aware that exercise has its benefits, but research shows that being physically fit is especially helpful for your brain health.  Getting started early on your fitness goals is also linked to improved cognitive abilities as we age.  Studies have shown that exercise can make people smarter.  People who exercise regularly have higher scores on tests of mental abilities, have shown better retention of memories and can hold attention for longer periods of time.  And, since many of us can’t hit the gym right now due to quarantines, click HERE for the list of the ten best at-home exercises to help cleanse your brain this spring.
• Diet.  A healthy diet contributes to a healthy mind and a healthy mind contributes to a healthy gut.  The mind gut connection is undeniable and it’s important that you take care of your gut as well as your brain this spring.  Your digestive system doesn’t just digest the foods you eat.  It also affects your brain.  Putting good foods into your system helps protect you against toxins and inflammation.  For more information on how your diet can help detox your brain, click HERE now.
• Clear Mind Clutter.  We are easily distracted.  The more you bombard your brain with images from social media, the news, work issues and household messes, the more our brains become overloaded and we cannot focus on critical tasks.  To minimize this clutter, unsubscribe and unfollow social media that is not serving your highest purpose.  Set time limits on news consumption.  Do a digital detox.  These activities will give you a sense of control and free up time in your day to focus on helpful brain activities such as mindfulness and meditation.
• Accentuate the Positive and Eliminate the Negative.  We all have negative mind chatter and our brain can become habituated to those thoughts–holding you back from being your best self.  Do not give in to “less than” thinking.  The only way to rewire the brain is to practice thinking positive thoughts on a consistent basis.  The more you repeat a positive affirmation to replace a negative one, the closer you are to cleansing your brain of the negativity.  It will take practice, but you can do it.
• Build your Dream House.  Your brain is your dream home.  You can keep it as clean and tidy as you want.  No one can place a limit on your imagination.  If it doesn’t bring you joy, toss it out.  You wouldn’t leave trash on the floor of your house.  Why would you allow trash to remain in your brain?

We all tend to want to clean house when spring arrives, but don’t forget your body and mind need attention too.  You will feel the difference in your brain when you clean out the unnecessary and take some time for self-care.  From getting rid of clutter to releasing negativity to cleaning up your diet, the tips above will help you move forward in your life in a productive and healthy manner.  When your thoughts are clear, you can feel lighter and brighter all year long.