When we speak of the term "hygiene", we usually attribute it to physical health, sometimes even to our physical surroundings. It usually refers to such things as dental, physical/personal, even home hygiene. But what about non-physical aspects of health and cleanliness? What about mental hygiene? Behavioral hygiene? Spiritual hygiene? Have you ever thought of that?
 
Mental Instead of Dental
Do you clean out your mind as often as you brush and floss your teeth? Are your thoughts and feelings as rotten and decaying as your teeth would be if you didn't take care of them? Is your moral hygiene as good as your oral hygiene? How do you know? Interesting to think about, yes?
 
Awareness is key. Observing your thoughts and feelings will show you if you need to see your mental hygienist for a regular check-up. How much of your day is filled with stress, fear, complaints, disappointment, sadness, "I can't", "It will never", "I should", and the like? If your thoughts were meals for your soul, would you be eating a lot of junk food? How often do you fill up on sustaining, life-giving "daily servings of fruits and vegetables" kinds of thinking? What about the people around you - are they junk food for your mind and soul, or do they provide nourishment, ful-FILL-ment and joy?
 
The challenge with mental hygiene is that ANTS - automatic negative thoughts - are just that: automatic. We can't control that they arise, however we can control what we do with them. The more energy you give the negative thoughts that float around in your head, the more they will run your life. If you train yourself to move them to the background of your mind, if you learn to cancel them and replace them with more positive and joyful thinking, then you become the creator of a new world for yourself. That's what mental hygiene is about. Easier said than done, but well worth the effort!
 
Behavioral Instead of Physical/Personal
Behavior is usually based on feelings, and feelings are based on thoughts. That's why mental hygiene is step #1. Step #2 is checking your external reactions to your internal environment.
 
Is your personality hygiene as good as your personal hygiene? How do you know? Here's a great checklist:
 
** Do you treat yourself and others with dignity, respect and compassion? Is your generosity sincere or is it an act you perform in order to get what you want?

** How often and how strongly do you react (or over-react) to negative or stressful circumstances? What does it look like when that happens? Are you a healthy responder or a destructive reactor (do others get maimed along the way)?

** Do you give thoughtful consideration to your actions, so that they reflect the person you want to be, your values, and your heart? Or are you lead by your head?

** Do you live by the Iron rule, the Golden rule or the Platinum rule? (Iron - it's my way or the highway. Golden - do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Platinum - do unto others as THEY would have you do for THEM.)
 
How you live your life is a clear indication of how hygienic you are. It's hard to hide the dirt and grime when your behavior gives you away. Remember the old axiom, "Your actions speak so loudly that I can't hear a word you're saying!"
 
Spiritual Hygiene - The Most Important of All
This is heart health of a different kind. It isn't about the organ inside your body that pumps blood through your veins; it's about your ability to love.
 
Don't worry - we do not need to become a Mother Teresa. We can be ourselves, live a normal life, and still have healthy "heart" hygiene. What you need is a heart full of love, gratitude, respect, and awe. To do that, we must remove judgment, condemnation, fear and negativity. Typically, this requires a healing process. You have to start with yourself first. Then you can move out to others.
 
The most important aspect of spiritual hygiene is an intentional spiritual path. Who is your God? What kind of relationship do you have with your God? Are you doing things to improve your connection with a higher power, to improve your understanding and access to that higher power within yourself? Are you purposefully increasing your conscious awareness, or are you content to live an unexamined life?
 
Speaking of life, what is yours about? Are you solely focused on the pursuit of material things, the future job/promotion, the next party or vacation? Or does your life in some meaningful way contribute to making the world a better place? Spiritual hygiene means moving outside the confines of yourself and your life in the realization that you are part of a larger collective, that your being here makes a difference.
 
As we enter the holiday season, this is a particularly good time to look at your mental, behavioral, and spiritual hygiene. Holidays tend to magnify our inner workings, the good and the bad. It's a great chance to look in the mirror, because opportunities to "clean up your act" will be easier to see.