Using Spring Cleaning in Recovery

With the beginning of springtime comes many opportunities for those continuing to navigate their newfound sober lives after graduating from Hawaii Island Recovery’s dedicated residential treatment programs. While both the transition from a treatment program to alumni life and the moving from winter to spring are marked times of change, they are also an opportunity to clean out both physical clutter at home as well as emotionally “clean up” the mind. Using spring cleaning for improved emotional and mental health can be instrumental in not just managing stress but also furthering each person’s dedication to sober goals. 

The term “spring cleaning” typically describes a time to clean out a home or living space, thoroughly getting into the corners and details of every room to scrub out mess, clutter, dust, and more. While this can provide a cleaner and more open living space, it can also be an important tool for those continuing to navigate their newfound sober lives as alumni of Hawaii Island Recovery. 

A cluttered environment can reflect a cluttered mind, filled with stresses, stimuli, and a lack of focus. This kind of mindset can be incredibly stressful. Having a clean home environment can be instrumental in instilling a feeling of control, order, and agency in daily life by eliminating distractions and opening new avenues of change and healing. Cleaning one’s environment can have the additional benefit of removing unnecessary stresses or reminders of past use that may otherwise affect a person’s mental health. 

Not only can spring cleaning each alumnus’s living space eliminate stress but it can also be a time of change. Cleaning out rooms can also empower those in recovery to explore how they may want to refill these spaces. For example, cleaning out a place that used to be associated with drug or alcohol use and repurposing the room to be an art studio, meditation space, or hobby area can help each alumnus redefine themselves in their sobriety. 

However, while effective spring cleaning of a person’s physical space can have a myriad of benefits on their mental and emotional health, there are also ways to engage in “spring cleaning the mind” to further continue healing after a person’s rehab in Hawaii.

The idea of cleaning out one’s mind can be difficult to embrace. However, it can be important to purge unnecessary or negative thoughts, doubts, and more that may inhibit each person’s continued progress across their sober journeys. There are several ways to engage in this kind of practice, and finding the approach that works best for each individual can empower those in recovery to truly clean out negativity and embrace further success in sobriety. 

Journals are a powerful tool in recovery, both for those just beginning their sober journey to those who have graduated and are continuing to navigate the stresses of sober life. Using journals to document gratitude or to vent stresses, frustrations, and more can be a great way of organizing these thoughts, instead of letting them clutter a person’s mind. Left unaddressed, these challenges can be difficult to manage. However, journals can provide a great way to address these stresses objectively, identify patterns of stresses, or provide a healthy way to release difficult harbored emotions.

Stress is common, and there is nothing wrong with experiencing stress, frustration, and more in daily life. Using journals to spring clean the mind can be a great way of preventing these stresses from further impacting a person’s mental health, or informing difficult urges or cravings as an alumnus. 

Mindfulness practices are crucial at any stage of recovery. However, with the onset of spring comes many opportunities to embrace new and effective mindfulness practices. Mindfulness is the awareness of a person’s thoughts and their connection to their behaviors, feelings, beliefs, and more. Engaging in mindfulness practices like meditation and yoga can help each alumnus identify emotional clutter or stress this spring. Working with peers, family, and professionals at Hawaii Island Recovery can empower each person to explore new mindfulness strategies this spring and start the season off in a healthy mental state. 

There are many stimuli and sources of stress throughout any given day. Personal responsibilities, financial obligations, workplace stresses, and more all make up daily life. However, avoiding unnecessary sources of stress or emotional clutter can be instrumental in creating a healthier emotional state. For some, this means avoiding unnecessary screen time on social media or doomscrolling, while others may eliminate certain social circles that may perpetuate negative news, gossip, and more. This can promote a healthier approach to navigating the already present stresses of daily life while also challenging feelings of pessimism, doubt, and other negative emotions to create a new perspective on daily life. 

Spring cleaning can be a great experience for alumni of any rehab in Hawaii, and we at Hawaii Island Recovery are prepared to help you not just clean up a sober living space but also explore how you can mentally, emotionally, and spiritually clean out negativity and stress for a healthier sober mind. We understand that sobriety is an ongoing journey, and new stresses and challenges can manifest even after graduating from one of our dedicated treatment programs. However, we are always one call away, and we can help you spring clean your mind, explore new grounding strategies, and introduce you to a community of like-minded peers for a sustainable and healthy emotional state. Call us at (866) 390-5070.