So, how does your closet look? Remember, when quarantine began, so long ago?  We had a new spare time. Our best sense of accomplishment was to organize stuff, pantries, junk, and sock drawers.  How are they lookin’? Are your closets messed up again? Are you ready for a DO-OVER?

Let’s move into the coming months with a fresh attitude. It is healthy to dig into the corners of our mental closets, as well. Have your emotions gotten a little messed up during the quarantine? As, humans, we constantly try to find quick fixes to soothe moments of upset, hurt, and anxious thoughts.  However, “solutions” are usually nothing more than quick fixes, just moving them around in our mental closets. So, how many have taken root in the recent months and piled-up in the dark corners of your emotional closet,

The COVID Vaccine is coming for our general health. Yippee!  How can we “vaccinate” against the emotional piles in our minds?  According to the expert’s good start is:

• Face them
• Feel them
• Deal with them
• Heal from them

1. Practice identifying and allowing yourself to feel the underlying emotions underneath such as hurt or fear. Strive to be present with and accept these feelings and the vulnerability they elicit.

2. Practice being consciously present. Like what we find in our messy closet.  Look at it.  Allow it to simply be. Then visualize putting it in the “not doing me any good “pile.

3. Identify how you may have contributed or used this in the past.  Be aware of how we humans play a part in the circumstances, about which, we are angry and/or resentful. Own up to it!

4. Practice expressing resentments differently. Share. Journal or write about them. Discharge them through physical activity by working out, taking a walk or run, going for a hike, or playing a sport. Visualize putting it away, permanently.

5. The quarantine has given us the gift of both physical and introspective time, we have more personal time to learn and practice relaxation and self-calming techniques, such as mediation, intentional breathing, progressive relaxation, and turn quiet, unplugged downtime into motivation.

6. Endeavor to practice treating people with kindness and compassion. Notice what happens when you change how you act towards others. They will often change how they act toward you.

7. Resist the urge to join in others’ negativity.  Not my monkey, not my circus!

You may find that getting in cleaning mode has such a positive impact, you dive into both your junk drawer and mental closet.   Feel the sense of accomplishment a good cleaning out can do.