Emotional Spring Cleaning: Out with the Old, In with the New You

[:en]Spring has finally sprung! It was a long and relentless one but it looks like we can finally store away our down-filled coats and say goodbye to another long cold winter. Around this time of year, many of us like to get out our mops, dusters, and Windex for a good old spring cleaning, but we may not realize that the emotional trash needs to be taken out as well. Consider a personal spring-cleaning, where you de-clutter mentally and emotionally. Do you have skeletons in your closet or cobwebs in your heart? Let go of your past disappointments that still weigh you down. It’s time to get rid of the mind junk and start fresh with the season!

Here are 6 helpful tips for your personal/ emotional spring-cleaning:

1) Do an inventory: You can’t change what you don’t see. Write down the resentments, grudges, and baggage you’ve been carrying. How long have they been troubling you? There is a statute of limitations on the past – if it’s an old fight, let it go. Does the punishment fit the crime? Even prisoners get out of jail. Free yourself from unnecessary battles by moving forward.

2) Stop beating yourself up: A surefire way to make a bad situation worse and bring you down is negative self-talk. Negative thinking, pessimism, and dwelling on your past blunders makes you feel miserable and promotes a negative outlook on life. Whatever it is, you have the power to overcome and start fresh, but only with a positive attitude. Dust off the negativity in your thinking patterns.

3) Take care of old wounds: When you leave an old wound untended to, it can proliferate and worsen. If there is something you’ve stuffed under the rug for far too long now, take care of it. The same way you wouldn’t ignore a physical wound, don’t let your emotional wounds fester until the problem snowballs and you’re dealing with an avalanche. Get rid of the skeletons in your closet.

4) Limit your worries: Everybody worries, and that can fill us with anxiety which clouds our judgment. When you worry you’re not problem solving, your spinning your wheels. If it’s not solved by 20 minutes of worry, find another strategy. Limit your worries and work towards building effective tools to address them. No matter the anxiety-provoking situation, there is ALWAYS a solution. Let go of the bats in the attic.

5) Do a health cleanse: Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean cleansing your intestinal track the gruesome conventional way, just getting on top of your physical health the way you’ve been meaning to. Don’t cut out your favorites, we all know that never works, but adding more leafy greens and H2O, reducing gluten and sugar, and eliminating trans-fats can go a long way in improving your physical health, energy level, and even mood. As well, incorporate some physical activity into your busy schedule. It could be anything you want from running to Pilates to walking the dog twice a day. You’ve heard it before, making some changes to your diet and exercise regime could provide a healthy natural cleanse for the body. Clean out the gutters!

6) Take Care of Yourself: If taking care of yourself is last on your list, you will never get to it. Make yourself a priority and take on something YOU have truly been wanting to, be it a new hobby, a yoga class, a regime to lose excess weight, a spa day or long massage. Simply, be sure to take a few moments entirely for yourself, everyday. \’Me-time\’ can work wonders on your peace of mind and stress levels. Take care of number one.

7) If you\’re really stuck, get help: There is no shame in admitting you need some support in overcoming your toughest challenges. In fact, it is a responsible and sound investment to let go of negative thinking and emotional baggage, and take care of yourself.

We are always here to offer our help and support when you need us. Change is always possible.

You are welcome to share your experience and progress with us by commenting below.

To a Happy, Healthy Spring, and a fresh Start! [:fr]

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