Embrace Your Inner Bruja With 5 Ways to Spring Clean your Mind, Body, and Soul

Published on 3/19/2019 at 5:45 PM

There's been a change in the air recently, and it's because of Spring's imminent arrival on March 20. Days are getting longer and brighter, and cities are beginning to blossom with a newfound hope. The energetic change is palpable; there's a desire for new beginnings, growth, and revitalization.

As the new season approaches, many take part in traditional Spring cleanings, the practice of heavy-duty cleaning and organizing of one's home, office, or any relevant space. However, there's a more significant cleaning we should be taking part in, and that's cleaning our minds, bodies, and souls.

As Latinx, most of us grew up in a Catholic environment, and with Spring usually falling around "Semana Santa," we would take that holiday to redeem ourselves, do some soul-searching, and start over again — sort of like our own version of Spring cleaning, but focused around Jesus.

Nowadays, Latinx millennials are dissociating themselves from religion overall, with a Pew Research Center study finding that 28 percent of Hispanic millennials have no particular religion or are atheist or agnostic, and a 13-point gap between Hispanic millennials and Hispanics overall when it comes to how many say religion is "very important" in their lives (47 percent vs. 60 percent).

A lot of us are instead rediscovering our indigenous and African roots, and relying on spirituality more than religion itself. We're embracing our inner Bruja through cleansing, practicing ancestor worship, lighting candles, and honoring the earth, for a few examples. We're giving energy more importance and we're finding natural ways to heal.

Nevertheless, we tend to go through life accumulating a lot of energetic clutter — negative thoughts, words, and experiences — and we usually hold onto these things, creating unnecessary baggage that only affects our relationship with our surroundings. That's why, as nature revitalizes, so should we. Here are five ways to create more positive energy this coming change of season.

Let Things Go

There's a famous anonymous quote that goes, "Was it a bad day? Or was it a bad five minutes you milked all day?" Most times, the reason for your "bad day" is just a moment that you decided to hold onto. And by doing that, you become a carrier of bad energy, and it shows in your interactions with other people and in the work that you do. You create a hostile and toxic environment around you.

As a result, people react to you the same way they perceive your energy, and that will definitely prompt some friction with your peers. So, the best thing to do when you're facing a situation that might not be ideal is to take a step back, breathe, and let it go. You don't need to win every argument, you don't need to always be right. Sometimes it's best to swallow your pride, or to understand that you have no control over certain things, and it's best to let it go — for yourself, for your mental health, for your peace.

Set Your Intentions

Spend time with yourself and your thoughts. What do you want to align with? What values resonate the most with you? What are some goals you wish to accomplish? Where do you see yourself in the coming months?

You can inform your intentions by writing them down in a journal or creating a vision board, whatever works best for you. Make sure you pull some affirmations that you repeat to yourself daily, and you can even tell your intentions to a close friend or relative so they can keep you accountable.

Avoid Speaking Negatively

Most people forget that when cleaning mind, body, and soul, you need to take into consideration the words you speak. You can't have a clean spirit if you're using your words to gossip, spread false rumors, criticize someone, or talk behind their backs.

If you're angry at someone or feel resentment towards a person, you should ask yourself why. Once you figure out why you have these feelings, try talking them out in a civilized manner, changing negative language into positive.

A good exercise whenever you have to start a conversation with someone is to point out something positive or that you like about them. That usually sets a better tone for conversations.

Also be mindful of the information you consume, and tune out the negative remarks. Always remember: "A palabras necias, oídos sordos."

Find Something That Makes You Happy

Life gets extra busy with work, commitments, kids (if you have any), errands, housekeeping, and more. Most people tend to forget that they need some time for themselves, too. In this coming season, try to find something you're passionate about and make it your new hobby. Maybe you want to learn a new craft, get a certification, or even start going to the gym more often. Sometimes even visiting your abuela can be a source of happiness.

Set aside time on your calendar and commit to it, even if you have to miss some happy hours or get-togethers. Ask yourself what's going to fulfill you the most and what would be the most beneficial for your overall health. Once you start doing something for you, you'll start feeling what a difference it makes for your overall happiness.

Pay It Forward

You can create a virtuous circle just by setting in motion a nice little gesture. It doesn't have to be big, but it does have to come from the heart. You can hold the door or the elevator for someone, send a motivating text to a friend you haven't spoken to in a while, write a positive comment on a social media post, write a recommendation for a colleague on LinkedIn, or pick up any litter around you. Or if you can, you can buy someone in need a meal, or even a coffee. Spreading positivity, and mucho, mucho amor, is contagious.