Spring forward. Spring break. Spring cleaning. Spring is in the air…or at least pretending to be for the moment. It’s the time of year when we all start to thaw (and dry out!) from cold weather, gloom, and clouds, looking forward to warmer weather, sunshine, and finally releasing ourselves from hibernation mode. Many make their New Year’s resolutions, which have at this point primarily gone by the wayside, but what about spring time resolutions?
Okay, hear me out. Seasonal depression and affective slumps have hit hard throughout the course of the clouded over, vitamin C deficient, staying inside, cold and rainy winter months. January is right in the thick of that. So why make resolutions amidst sadness and gloom every year? What if we made a shift this year and spring forward into resolutions?
I have been hearing a lot of Marie Kondo going around. Everyone is going through their closet and seeking sparks of joy. I think spring is the time of year when the majority of us are cleaning out the closet, the attic, the wherever else we’ve been shoving things for however long since the last big clean. I’m on board with this spring cleaning idea, but what if we turned it inward for a change?
What about taking the time to mentally, emotionally, and spiritually if you feel inclined, “spring clean”. Sort through those bad breakups, relational grudges, and abandoned friendships. Rifle through the archives of emotional baggage, historical traumas, and negative imagery. Dig through the self-talk, self-esteem, and self-efficacy separating out the positive. Start tossing out any of those emotions, thoughts, and behaviors that don’t spark you joy.
This spring, I challenge you to let go of grudges that weigh you down. Part with negative self-talk that deprives your soul of positive energy. Find a place of peace amidst turmoil in your life and clear your head space to make way for positive thoughts and healing. Spring clean yourself. If you are religious, you are already in the midst of the Lenten season, which is a time of sacrifice and self-betterment. Talk with, and surround yourself, with people that add joy to your life rather than detracting from it. And if you need help sorting through the clutter, I’d love to listen.