Spring Cleansing for the Mind, Body and Spirit

Spring is considered a period of growth and renewal; a time for us to declutter our living quarters by overhauling or discarding unwanted items, revamping our closets, and thoroughly cleaning every surface. The term 'Spring Clean' floats around the closer we get to the end of winter and the beginning of spring and describes our efforts to create a healthy living environment for ourselves. To enhance your optimal well-being and quality of life, spring cleansing your mind, body and spirit as you begin your annual spring cleaning ritual may help your comfort and health carry through to summer.

Spring is the perfect time to cleanse your mind, body and spirit.

Mind
Mental health plays a critical role in our overall health and should not be overlooked in favour of our physical health. A global survey conducted across 15 countries over 1000 corporations found that workplace stress levels have risen in the last two years, creating expensive health-related problems for the economy.

Although feeling stressed is a part of life and can motivate us to complete our tasks, too much stress can cause physical side effects that may be detrimental to our health in the long run. These side effects include fatigue, chest pain, change in sex drive and headaches. Take these simple actions to cleanse the mind and ease high-stress levels.

Meditate
A short 15-minute meditation session every morning or night can clear your mind and enhance your self-awareness. Keeping the mind refreshed can help you re-prioritise the clutter and keep your mind energised.

Reach out to friends/spouse
Toxic relationships can take a toll on our mental energy. Let go of relationships that drain your energy to focus on improving your relationships with close friends and/or your spouse. Consider letting go of anger or resentment that you've held onto and organise a date to discuss any issues and future goals with your spouse.

Decrease caffeine consumption
Caffeine may help your alertness but it also causes your body to be more tense and jittery. Limit your caffeine intake to one cup a day.

Take ginseng
Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) can regulate the immune response and hormonal changes caused by stress. The beneficial plant can be prepared as a tea or taken as a supplement.

Body
It is easy to gain weight over winter from exerting our energy into watching movies and overindulging in fatty comfort foods. We stay indoors for longer, breathing in toxins instead of fresh air. Low-impact exercise such as short segments of cardio can assist with every part of the body, including the mind and weight loss, and help cleanse the body of the winter weight and toxins.

The benefits of exercising to spring cleanse the body include improving the cardiovascular system, assisting with mental health, blood circulation through the body, and improving the lungs and muscles. The Australian Department of Health recommends engaging in 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity a week. Beginners can start low and increase their intensity and time as their body adapts to the exercise regime. The body can still reap the benefits of short bursts of exercise and will improve your well-being and health.


Spirit
We tend to hold on to emotions that can harm our overall health and our future goals. Clinging onto disappointments and past failures can hold us back when the emotions should be processed as a learning opportunity. To cleanse the spirit, incorporate the following steps into your daily routine:

- Evaluate the cause of your negative mood and how it affects you. Decide whether it is something you can change or out of your control

- Recognise that some situations may be out of your control. Harbouring the negative energy will not improve the outcome but will impact your wellbeing

- Take some time out and imagine yourself removing the negative mood and emotions. Feel the weight lift from your shoulders and the relief as it disappears

- Look forward to tomorrow with renewed hope and remember not to be too hard on yourself

- Saffron (Crocus Sativus Stigma) has impressive health benefits for the body. The spice is harvested by hand and has long been used for its medicinal properties to boost moods. A 2013 placebo-controlled study found that saffron supplements improved depressive symptoms in patients compared to the group taking placebos.

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Lipa Pharmaceuticals has Mood Support Tablets and Melts available in our Private Label range, which can support mood balance and relieve symptoms of anxiety, and for increased energy check out our Ginseng Energy, aimed to increase stamina and reduce stress.

 Spring Cleansing does not have to be limited to the beginning of spring. Practise cleansing your mind, body and spirit regularly for optimal health.