Bring Yourself Back to Life - With Spring Cleaning from the Inside Out

Winter has a way of zapping the life right out of us, and this winter has been especially hard. While many, including me, are angry over winter weight gain, others are depressed from battling colds and flu, or living in fear of losing their jobs or homes. But, there is a way to get rid of the stress that zaps the life out of our personal space – our bodies, minds and souls. I call it spring cleaning, from the inside, out. Spring cleaning awakens our senses to the world around us through new experiences that feed us, rather than deplete us. It purges the emotional poisons that keep us from living and flourishing. I urge you to stop going through the motions and soak in all you feel, see, hear, taste, touch and smell, to cleanse your spirit and renew your energy for your wondrous life this spring. For A Sensational Spring Cleaning rnExperience Life. Sign up for a community walk or fun run and lift your spirits; picnic at your favorite park or lake and take in the beauty of your surroundings; or enjoy laughing and playing games online games at Pogo.com. Research tells us the feelings we get from experiencing life make us happier and help us find joy. See Hope. Pick a color, any color and paint just one wall in your apartment or room to create energy, passion and joy. Try purple for spirit and hope, or yellow for happiness. For a quick splash of life, buy new hand towels for every bath in your home. Behavioral science shows color positively affects our blood pressure, stress, and energy level. Smell Well. Find healing in your favorite aromatherapy soap, lotion, or room freshener. Lavender, chamomile and vanilla help you relax, peppermint and orange provide mental clarity. Jasmine lifts your mood to instill a sense of optimism. Feel Happy. Keep a shawl, in your favorite color, in a drawer nearby and occasionally wrap yourself in it – try 3 times a day. Like a self imposed hug, you’ll feel healed and settled or the renewed energy of self love. You may even experience the physical and emotional well-being of a simple hug, including reduced stress and increased happiness. Taste Tea Health. Start drinking. Good and good for you, the healing properties of black, green and ginger tea increase mental alertness while lowering blood pressure, preventing cancer and osteoporosis, reducing risk for stroke, and promoting a healthy heart and body. Hear Soul. Download your favorite tunes to your iPod and find five minutes in the morning and in the afternoon to listen, dance, or sing to de-stress. Listening to your favorite music releases the calming chemical serotonin into your body. Singing releases physical tension, oxygenates the blood, and liberates suppressed emotions. Whether you listen, sing or move to music, you’ll benefit from its healing qualities.