Mental house-cleaning: simplify your mind for a happier 2024

Complements of the season to everyone reading my column.

Here is to wishing you a healthy and prosperous new year.

All of us carry an unnecessary load of thoughts and feelings, which can impact our lives negatively. Like tidying up your physical space, mental house cleaning is essential for a healthier mindset.

It helps us to gain clarity, reduce stress and improves our emotional resilience.

Bear in mind that mental house cleaning can also be painful and you have to work through all those unwanted thoughts and feelings.

It’s like when you clean or declutter your room thoroughly, you will pick up and examine everything. Some items you will pick up with love, and you will dust and polish them to give them new beauty.

Some items you will see the need for refinishing and repair and you will make a note of to repair. Other items you will never serve you again, and it becomes time to let go.

Old magazines, newspapers and unwanted items can be dropped into a wastebasket calmly and easily.

The same thing when you clean out your mental house.

No need to get angry because some of the beliefs in it are ready to be tossed out. Let them go as easy as scraping bits of food into the trash can.

Would you really dig into yesterday’s garbage to make tonight’s meal?

Do you dig into old mental garbage to create tomorrow’s experiences?

The point of power is always in the present moment. You are the only person that thinks in your mind. Your thoughts and beliefs of the past have created this moment. What you are now choosing to believe creates the next moment and the next day and the next month.

Mental house cleaning declutters our thoughts and emotions. Benefits of mental house cleaning include clarity, stress reduction and emotional strength.

It also includes selfreflection, meditation, affirmations, visualisation, letting go and positive thinking.

By making this a habit, you can unlock your true potential to a happier 2024.

Mental house cleaning means eliminating meaningless thinking, overthinking, worrying and doubting. It means getting rid of thoughts and emotions that do no good to you.

It also means stop dwelling on the past.

Herewith some ideas when you do your mental house cleaning:

Journaling provides an outlet to express yourself and gain valuable insight into your mental state;

Mindfulness and meditation are powerful tools to cultivate awareness and inner peace and they help us to detach from negative thoughts;

Positive affirmations rewire our subconscious mind, replacing self-doubt with empowering beliefs;

Power of letting go — letting go of grudges and past grievances liberates us from emotional burdens and freeing up our positive space;

Surrounding ourselves with positive influences and supportive people fosters a nurturing environment.

As you continue your journey of mental house cleaning, remember you do it for yourself and it is a continuous journey to selfdiscovery and personal growth.

Be kind and patient with yourself. Stay committed to your daily practices and don’t forget to celebrate your achievements and progress no matter how big or how small.

● If you feel that you need to reach out, contact SADAG tollfree line suicide helpline 0800-567-567 (24 hours), or CIPLA mental health helpline 0800-456-789, CIPLA WhatsApp line from 9am to 4pm, 076-882-2775.

You can also SMS SADAG 31393, available 24 hours a day.