I don’t know about you but I love looking at other people’s homes on Pinterest and other sites. I love looking at other people’s styles and colour schemes and noting the feelings these give me.

Of course, now is the time of year when many of us think about ‘spring cleaning’, when we think about deep cleaning our homes. This is the time when everything comes off the shelves and we take our tools to every nook and cranny. In the process of that, we might get rid of things we no longer like or need or have been unused for a while. We may fix things that have been broken and re-acquaint ourselves with things we had put in the back of a cupboard that actually we’d really like to use. Once all the cleaning and sorting through has been done, we inevitably feel lighter and refreshed. It’s amazing the impact a really clean and organised environment can have on us.

How often do we do this with our minds and emotions though? If we stop to think about it, our ways of being and the lives we lead can be fraught with all sorts of clutter; things that make us anxious, stresses, unresolved conflicts, old hurts and old habits that really no longer serve us. Recently someone came to see me and in the course of the consultation, it emerged that she was terrified of mice. Well you might not often see a mouse but to have that fear lurking around in the back of your mind somewhere is creating a degree of tension you would be better off without. If that “thing at the back of the cupboard” were no longer there, you would certainly notice it by feeling lighter in some way.

Equally, we all have an enormous amount of inner resources that can really make our lives work better for us if we recognise them as such and value them. One of my jobs as a hypnotherapist is to identify these with and for a client so that I can link them where they are really needed. Sometimes, because of the speed at which we lead our lives, we fail to appreciate that a strength we have can be utilised in some other part of our lives.

So as the Spring emerges and perhaps you are in the process of a deep clean and sorting out in your home, could it be that now is also a good time to take an inventory of your life in general and ascertain what is and isn’t working for you? Be honest with yourself about any attitudes or behaviours or indeed situations that are creating disorganisation and clutter in your mind and your emotions and decide to do something about them. Get whatever help you need to do that. You will feel freer and lighter with more emotional space to live a life that more closely suits you.

Likewise, take the time to see what is really working in your life and bring it out into the open where you can see it and enjoy it. Recognise your strengths and gifts and decide to give them more prominence in the way you live your life. Be proud of them and let others see them and appreciate them when they come into your space.

Author's Bio: 

Catherine Chadwick is a solution-focused Hypnotherapist based in London, UK. Her gentle yet targeted approach means that she has facilitated individuals in dealing with a wide range of issues, achieving long-term results. She also creates personalised relaxation recordings in consultation with you.

She enjoys speaking in public, has been a Toastmaster and is currently a member of a storytelling group. If you have a fear of public speaking, she will be pleased to help you.