Spring Is In the Air: Time for Emotional Cleaning

Posted on by Dr. Diane Sanford in Monday Musings

Spring is in the air.   As the days get longer and the weather warms, we feel a growing urge to refresh and renew our lives.  The blossoming season brings with it the opportunity to release what we’ve held on to mentally or emotionally, which no longer fits.  Spring cleaning indeed.

Clearing away old beliefs.  Just like our physical space, our minds are often cluttered with wornout beliefs and ideas.  In cognitive therapy, clients learn to monitor their negative beliefs and refute them.  If someone grew up being criticized, they may have the belief “I’m no good”.  As an adult however, they may have a successful career or be a caring parent, evidence that this belief is not true.  Changing automatic assumptions is empowering and liberating. 

Sow the seeds of intention: Step One.  Along with releasing negative thoughts, we must clarify what we want.  Why is this challenging?  First, our minds  chatter constantly over urgent but not important matters.  Like what we said that offended someone we hardly know or putting the laundry away.  Instead, we need to quiet our “monkey mind” through prayer, meditation and relaxation.   Stillness allows connection with our deeper selves.

Sow the seeds of intention: Step Two.  When our mind is still, we see more clearly how we want to live.  Then during our daily meditation/prayer, we can set our intentions for serenity, peaceful relationships, health, etc., allowing our intention and energy to flow in the direction we desire.  Creating the life we want one day at a time.

Published by Dr. Diane Sanford

Psychologist Dr. Diane Sanford has been passionate about helping women improve their health and lead happier lives since counseling her first postpartum mom 25 years ago. She has re-focused her efforts on mind/body health, which is a part of greater Self-Care.

2 thoughts on “Spring Is In the Air: Time for Emotional Cleaning”

  1. Thank you for sharing this timely message. Having had an awful end to an otherwise wonderful weekend, my mind was full of negative chatter(all night!) on the mistake I made and any other mistakes I’ve made in the past. Its hard to turn off the negative chatter. Unfortunately when I give my mind time to be still all I can think of is the negative or feel an incredible sadness that I seem to fall short of my expectations or what I perceive what most people expect of me. I guess I better go read more of the postive thinking topics…

  2. A couple of ideas. First, if you can’t get your mind to stop chattering, try distracting yourself with a magazine, e-mail, TV. Second, what we perceive others expect of us is usually much more than what they do and it’s us expecting more of ourselves. Think about what you’d say to a good friend who was blaming herself for falling short and then say it to yourself. And yes, read more of the positive thinking topics. We can all use more of that!
    Warmly, Diane

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