Cleaning Out the Shame in Your Life
Being on the cusp of spring, we are met with the idea of spring cleaning. While cleaning the physical space around you can help with your mental health, I decided to take a new twist on spring cleaning: cleaning out things that are holding you back from achieving better mental health.
First on the “to do” list is shame. Shame is a profoundly powerful emotion to have and hold on a daily basis. The easiest, yet at times feels like the most challenging, way to help diminish your own shame is to simply put it into words. Go to someone you trust (a partner, a friend, or a therapist) and speak about why you are feeling shame. This action alone will begin to reduce your shame. Voicing your shame is freeing. If you don’t feel comfortable voicing it, try to journal about it and see if it is helpful to put it down on a page. While in this process, remember to “talk to yourself like you talk to someone you love” (Brene Brown). It is important to be kind and gentle with yourself. If you are thinking negatively about yourself, ask if you would keep a friend around that would speak that way to you. Chances are, you wouldn’t. So don’t allow yourself to be a toxic friend to yourself and try to practice speaking to yourself as you would a loved one.