Using a Mental Reset to Build Your Best Life

Have you ever wondered if you could use a vacation as a mental reset?  And if you get this mental reset, can you use it to build your best self possible?  I’m here to tell you, 100 percent, yes you can!!!

A Quick Getaway Can Work Wonders On Your Mental Health!

My husband and I returned home on Saturday from a week spent in Seattle, and it was marvelous!  We visited with my sister in law and her family. It was great to relax with them. Spending time together laughing, eating great food, and enjoying some awesome family bonding.  We had some mean games of Yahtzee, and my two nieces (especially the 8-year-old) are insanely competitive, lol!

During our trip, we visited many different landmarks in Seattle and the surrounding areas.  We had a lot of adult time while the kids were at school, which was a great opportunity for us to catch up and share our thoughts.  I think it’s amazing when you get time to bounce ideas off of your close friends and family, especially if you don’t get to very often!  Wouldn’t you agree?

I’ll share more about our trip to Seattle in a future post, so be on the lookout!

What’s A Mental Reset?

Many experts recommend a mental reset to help you destress and calm down.  Counting to 10, taking a few deep breaths, and thinking positive thoughts can all work to help you mentally reset for a short period of time.  It’s a great tool to use when starting something new, but it can also be used to regain focus and be reenergized for continuing tasks.  

I will use deep breathing and prayer to help me remain calm at the moment.  But at least a few times a year, I feel the need for a large mental reset. Vacations and breaks from work/school are the perfect time for me to get this reset going!

How to do a Large Mental Reset

So how do I do a large mental reset?  Well, it takes a little time and a lot of thinking.  But, if done well, it can make your next few months happier and much more productive!

To start, I begin by relaxing.  Taking some time to relax, move slowly, and get some rest are all great ways to set the tone for your mental reset.  I would recommend a day or less for this phase of your reset. Taking more time than that might possibly make you lazy and not want to begin resetting.  Unless you have a physical condition that requires a longer rest period, I would recommend keeping it fairly short.

Take Time to Reflect

After relaxing, I then take time to reflect on the past few weeks.  I think about what went well, and why it might have gone well. Sometimes I make a list, but at other times I talk them out with a family member or close friend.

I also think about what did not go well, and brainstorm reasons why it wasn’t successful. Talking it out with someone can also be helpful. If I’ve had problems in my classroom, I might ask another teacher for their opinion.  

 If the problem is at home, I will get ideas from a close friend or family member. In my blogging journey, I might also ask family or friends, but I also turn to bloggers who have more experience. 

Now that I’ve rested and reflected, it’s time to plan for the future!

At this point, I’m ready to think ahead.  After going through what went well, and what didn’t, it’s the perfect time to develop a plan.  I begin by making a list of wants for the near future. This list is a sort of “brain dump” where I write down everything that I would like to do.  I don’t think about what’s likely and what’s not, I just list everything I can think of right then!

After my brain dump, I look at the list in front of me and circle the most important goals on it.  The list includes personal, family, work, and blog goals, so I make sure to circle at least one idea from each area.  The area of my life that needs the most work might have 2-3 ideas circled from it.

When I have circled several ideas, I take those and begin making a refined list.  I limit this list to the 10 items that are the most important for my personal growth over the next few months.  It may take a little while because I’ll probably scratch out a few items and add some others. Some items, like diet and exercise, can be put together.  My plan is to get the best possible goals all on one list!

Pick Your Top Five

After getting my top 10 list, I need to hone it down to five things that need my attention ASAP.  I’ll get to the other five as I cross these first ones off the list. But I find that having too many goals can make me distracted, so five is a great place to start! 

Now that I have my list of 5 goals to work on from my mental reset, it’s time to get specific for each goal.  I write down why each goal is important, along with the steps needed for achieving success in each area. Keep reading to see how I break down each one!

Declutter and Organize

Coming home from Washington, I noticed how much clutter has been accumulating throughout the house.  We did a big declutter about 4 years ago but we’ve been slowly slipping back into our old ways. Our bookshelves are totally unorganized and our drawers and closets are bursting with too many clothes.  Every tabletop, dresser, and counter is covered with stacks of books, papers, and bills. It’s driving me nuts!!

So, I’ve decided to start on a huge decluttering and organizing project!  Stay tuned for more posts on my decluttering process. I can’t wait to share the journey and transformation with you.

Diet and Exercise

Like I said earlier, I’m putting these two together.  They go hand in hand, and they are both so important to my health!   I lost some weight spring of 2018, but after the holidays last year, it’s slowly crept back on me.  

I love to exercise, especially karate!  But, my joints (especially my knee) have been hurting a lot more lately, so it’s been hard to work out as often or as long as I would like.  I need to find a way to get in cardio without causing more knee and joint pain.

Knee and Joint Pain

Because I have fibromyalgia, I have a lot of joint pain and joint weakness.  It can range from my neck to my toes. Right now my fingers and hands are stiff and sore.  I also have an elbow that has been sore for about three weeks, and I have no idea why. Knee pain is also a constant problem for me.  

Last year, I had a scope on my knee.  They found a little bit of rough cartilage and bone, so they shaved it down.  The hope was that I would be back to at least 95% pain-free and a full range of movement.  But that didn’t happen. As soon as I went back to my normal activities, all of my symptoms came back, and are progressively getting worse.

In order to add in more exercise, addressing my joint pain is a top priority.

Preparing for Christmas

Christmas makes me so excited I act like Buddy the Elf! 

I love to decorate and give presents. Another favorite for me is all the time I get to spend with my family.  We have some wonderful family gatherings planned, and I’m getting excited now just thinking about it.

But, Christmas can be super hectic too!  When I procrastinate, I feel unprepared. This makes me stress out.  Then I freak out, lose my patience, and act a fool for all to see! So, to make sure Christmas is less stressful and more enjoyable, I need to plan ahead.

Check out these awesome products from The Daily Grace Co!!

Work on Our Budget

Another way to make Christmas stressful is not budgeting for it.  This is true with life in general, too. When I don’t have a budget and don’t track my spending, I have no idea where the money is actually going!

I took a break from budgeting over the summer, which was dumb.  I thought that we could just “try” to spend less, and hope for the best.  But, as Yoda says, “Do or do not. There is no try.”  

Trying to stay on a budget, without creating one, is setting yourself up for failure.  I’ve seen that firsthand in my own life, and in many others. When my family consistently makes a budget and sticks with it, our house is a happier house than without it!

There are my top 5 goals I brought together through my vacation mental reset.  Stay tuned for update posts to let you know how I’m doing on each one. I’ll share the wins, and loses, I encounter over these next few months!

What’s your method for a mental reset?  And what do you do to achieve your goals?  I’d love to hear from you, so comment below or send me an email!

Have a great one!