As the seasons shift, so do we. Winter invites us to turn inward, conserve energy, and sit with stillness. When spring arrives, the longer days and fresh bursts of colour remind us that renewal is possible – not just in our gardens and homes, but within ourselves.
Many of us will instinctively do a spring clean of cupboards and wardrobes. But what about the invisible clutter we carry in our minds?
Old thought patterns, digital overload, and emotional residue can leave us feeling heavy. A “mental detox” is simply clearing out what no longer serves us, making space for more clarity, energy, and joy.
Here are six holistic, science-backed ways to spring clean your mind this season.
1. Journaling for Clarity
Counsellors often encourage journaling because it externalises what’s swirling in your head. By putting thoughts on paper, you reduce mental noise and see patterns more clearly.
One simple practice is a “morning mind sweep” – set a timer for 10 minutes and write continuously, without editing. This clears the mental cobwebs before your day begins. Evening journaling with three gratitudes has also been shown to improve wellbeing and sleep quality
TRY THIS: Choose a time of day that feels natural to you and commit to a week of daily journaling. Notice how your mental clarity shifts.
2. Reframe Your Inner Dialogue
Our thoughts shape our mood and actions. In counselling, a powerful tool is cognitive reframing – noticing when a thought feels heavy and gently shifting the lens.
For example:
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“I’m always behind” → “I’m prioritising what matters most right now.”
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“I can’t cope” → “I’ve handled challenges before, and I can again.”
This isn’t about forced positivity. It’s about training the brain to find more balanced truths. Thanks to neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to rewire itself )repeated reframing literally strengthens new, supportive pathways over time.
TRY THIS: Each time you catch a self-critical thought, write a gentler alternative beside it. Over time, this becomes more automatic.
3. Ground Stress Through the Body
Our nervous system holds on to stress, often in the form of tight shoulders, clenched jaws, or shallow breathing. Somatic awareness—bringing attention to the body, is a counselling approach that helps release this stored tension.
TRY THIS – Grounding practice
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Place your feet flat on the floor.
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Notice where your body touches the chair.
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Take three slow, deep breaths, softening your shoulders as you exhale.
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Name five things you can see, four things you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, one you can taste.
This engages your senses and signals safety to the nervous system, a principle supported by polyvagal theory (Porges, 2011).
4. Reset Your Digital Boundaries
Just as cluttered shelves create stress, endless notifications clutter the mind. Studies link excessive digital use with elevated cortisol and reduced attention span (American Psychological Association, 2020).
Spring is a great time to reset your tech habits.
TRY THIS
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Choose one device-free pocket each day, perhaps the first hour after waking.
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Try a “digital Sabbath”: a half or full day offline once a week.
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Replace scrolling with something restorative: a walk, a stretch, or even five minutes of deep breathing.
These small resets create mental white space for creativity and calm.
5. Refresh with Breathwork & Visualisation
The breath is a built-in detox system for the mind. Techniques like box breathing (inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4) have been shown to reduce stress hormones and calm the amygdala, the brain’s fear centre.
To amplify the effect, layer in a spring visualisation.
TRY THIS:
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As you inhale, imagine drawing in fresh air, light, and clarity.
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As you exhale, picture releasing stale thoughts or tension, like opening windows to let in spring breeze.
Visualisation is often used in counselling to shift emotional states quickly, and research supports its role in improving resilience and mood.
6. Reconnect with Nature’s Rhythm
Spring is nature’s invitation to step outside. Time in green spaces is linked to lower blood pressure, reduced cortisol, and greater emotional wellbeing (University of Exeter, 2019).
TRY THIS:
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Go for a mindful walk, noticing colour, scent, and sound.
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Practice forest bathing (shinrin-yoku), pausing under trees and simply breathing.
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Or take five quiet minutes in the garden, observing new growth as a metaphor for your own renewal.
Nature doesn’t rush. Growth unfolds at its own pace – a reminder to allow your own inner reset to be gentle and unforced.
Spring is a season of release and renewal. By journaling, reframing thoughts, grounding stress, setting digital boundaries, using breathwork, and spending time in nature, you can gently declutter the mind and create space for new possibilities.
A mental detox isn’t about doing everything perfectly. It’s about choosing one or two practices that feel doable and letting them bring fresh energy into your life. This spring, what will you clear out, and what seeds of calm and clarity will you choose to plant?
By Lisa McLean, Certified Holistic Counsellor and Health Coach. Discover more about Lisa HERE.
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