Life comes in seasons, sometimes according to the seasons of the earth and sometimes the specific seasons of an individual life. Spring cleaning is a ritual which honors both the natural transitions of the earth as well as serves to encourage honoring the passing phases of life.
After a long winter, one’s home is ready to open itself to the sunshine for busy seasons of spring and summer full of activity and fun. Typically, spring cleaning includes a little elbow grease in truly cleaning all the areas of the house which have been neglected. Cleaning can be metaphorical, however, and serve the journey of recovery.
Clean Your Side Of The Closet
Making room for the new sometimes means clearing out the old. This is no more true than in the recovery journey. Holding onto old ideals and beliefs, especially ones that are harmful, takes up too much space in the mind. As a result the mind becomes closed off rather than open. Open mindedness is an important part of recovery. Unless one is open minded to sobriety, the therapeutic process, holistic healing, and the possibilities of life, they will struggle through their recovery. Twelve step programs encourage an “inventory” which is followed by beginning to “remove” defects of character which create closed-mindedness.
Spring Cleaning Practice: Look through your closet and drawers, or any area of the house which holds items of your possession. Consider what serves you and what no longer serves you. Notice if you feel resistance toward the idea of letting a particular item go. Can you let go and make room for new things?
Leave No Corner Dirty
When certain areas of life are ignored, a certain level of “dirt”, bad energy, or even emotional pain starts to build. In recovery, this is evidenced through resentments. Resentments are like a film of grime which continue to build and build until there is a conversation or an amends. Like an ignored corner of the house or the carpet that everything is swept under, the dirt doesn’t go away. It simply accumulates, causing dust, sometimes mold, and a consumed mind. Unfortunately, simply sweeping things under the carpet- metaphorically and literally- doesn’t make them disappear. They’re still there, under the carpet. To live a free live of serenity and peace in recovery means to confront the “ick” when it happens and clean it up promptly. Learning to confront one’s faults, authentically express one’s emotions, and do the work it takes to keep the mind clear is an important process for avoiding resentments.
Spring Cleaning Practice: Do a total house cleaning. Take each room one area at a time and clean thoroughly. Notice any struggle you have in maintaining motivation to continue cleaning. You might find it would just be easier to live with the dirt and not have to think about it. Take deep breaths and continue one area at a time. Like recovery, you’ll find that small steps create a greater whole. Do you feel accomplished and better now that everything is clean and in order? Realize how worth it the work was to do.
Balance and restoration in mind, body, and spirit is the goal for each client who comes to Cypress Lake Recovery. Our programs are designed to help clients heal and learn how to live a new life in recovery. Call us today for information on our treatment programs and services at: 1-866-217-2636.
