April - A Time to Refresh, Renew, and Repair

Spring is a time of new beginnings. A time for fresh starts. A time surrounded by new life. Spring is an exciting time, but also a time for work. Gardens need tended. Roses need pruned. Branches blown down by winter storms need collected and burned. You can feel the change in the air. In keeping with this theme, I would like to focus on the idea of refreshing, renewing, and repairing for our April challenge.

There are 3 areas that I would like to highlight in this post where we can renew, refresh, and repair. I decided to share this as a way to motivate and encourage (and maybe force) myself into doing the refreshing and repairing I’ve been putting off.

Refreshing the Home -

If you’re anything like me, the first thing that comes to mind is spring cleaning. I picture my great grandmother outside beating her rugs relentlessly and scrubbing down every wall in her home. Spring cleaning can feel overwhelming and daunting for me. I enjoy keeping my house tidy and functioning well, but let’s be honest, deep cleaning often gets pushed to the end of my list. I mean, it’s just plain hard to get excited about wiping down baseboards!

There are a few tricks that I am planning to break out this month while I’m deep cleaning.

1. Make it enjoyable (or at least as enjoyable as possible) -

For me this means listening to a podcast, audiobook, or music. If I really need a pick-me-up, I’ll break out the rock and roll. What can I say!? Sometimes you need to channel your inner rockstar to crank out that thankless job.

Making the moment enjoyable can also include lighting your favorite candle, or diffusing motivational oils. I love having a nice scented soap or cleaning agent and a pretty cloth. It makes the job 100 times better when you can find pleasure in little things along the way.

2. Make it convenient -

My mom taught me to have a little caddy ready to go with cleaning supplies. At first, I thought this idea was silly. But it turns out, it really helps. Nothing dampens your motivation more than running around the house looking for your supplies when you’re ready to dive into a cleaning project. If it’s all in one place, you have less opportunity to become distracted.

3. Make it work for you -

No one knows you better than yourself. If you want to spend a day at home cleaning in full-on beast-mode then go for it! But if that’s overwhelming, break it down into smaller chunks of time. There’s no right or wrong.

Mental Renewal –

Although not what we typically think of when envisioning spring cleaning, mental refreshing is vitally important. I recently attended a continuing education lecture by Dr. Lating concerning the effects of the pandemic on mental health. It was eye-opening. I learned a lot about the human brain and thought patterns.

According to Dr. Lating’s presentation, most of us are drawn towards a negative thought pattern. Our brains are wired to process bad news almost 5 times faster than good news. Dr. Lating went on to explain that the majority of people do not like change. In fact, people are significantly more likely to stay in an unhappy/unhealthy situation rather than risk the unknown consequences of change.

The lecture rang true in my own life. I find myself afraid of new opportunities. I enjoy the safety and comfort of routine. When in reality, it’s much healthier to stretch myself and my mental capabilities. Mental health is very nuanced, and I don’t claim to have all the answers. However, I would like to share some tips I’ve found helpful in keeping my heart and mind refreshed.

1. Focus on Truth - For me, the most important aspect of refreshing my mind is through my faith in Jesus. It helps me to find solid ground in a world that is constantly changing. Romans 12:2 says “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” I would encourage you to dive into the Bible which shines its perfect light on the Source of Truth.

2. Turn Off the News - Sometimes I just can’t deal. All the negativity, anger, and evil that fills my eyes and ears quickly becomes overwhelming. I make a conscious choice to only view small amounts of news and only from sources that I trust. You obviously can’t live in a bubble. But you can limit what you see and hear. Maybe instead of scrolling social media, take 5 minutes to sit perfectly silent. Maybe take time to share a positive moment of your day with a friend, instead of turning on the TV. Do whatever it takes!

3. Actively Challenge Negative Thought Patterns - This has been one of the hardest things that I have ever had to do. Inside our brains we have “pathways”. The more we think a particular thought the more our “pathway” gets worn. We get to a point where we automatically think something that directs our emotions and actions. Stopping this process is HARD! But incredibly freeing and rewarding. When I catch a thought starting down a negative path I stop and correct the thought. Over a time (and I mean a lot of time), the positive pathways become more worn and the negative pathways become overgrown. I’ve learned that changing a habit or unhealthy behavior is possible with some awareness and determination.

Relational Repair -

Relationships can be tricky. They take work. Just like gardens, they need tended to be beautiful. I often see marriages or friendships that suffer from a lack of tending. To be completely transparent, I’ve been there! I’ve let friendships die from “being too busy” to make time for my friend. I let my thoughts wonder instead of truly focusing on what my husband is sharing about his workday. I am reminded of Proverbs 11:25 “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”

So how can we refresh our relationships? Here are a few things I’ve found encouraging:

1. Listen With Intention - Doesn’t it feel good when you know someone is truly listening to you? I know I really appreciate when someone does that for me. It’s easy to tune out or daydream when the conversation strays from our interests, but earnestly listening can be one of the best ways to say “I care.”

2. Set A Date - How many times have you said “we should get together” only to meet again 1 year later and say the same thing? Sadly, I do that a lot. Let’s make a point of actually setting a date!

3. Check In - Some of my closest friends have a way of checking in just when I need it. They make a point of remembering things that I’m celebrating or struggling with. Everyone needs someone to share their burdens and successes. Let’s make a goal to remember the important moments for our loved ones.

The Challenge:

For the month of April, I would love if you joined me in participating in the Refresh, Renew, Repair Challenge.

How to participate:

1. Choose one of the three categories discussed in this blog post.

2. Create an actionable plan with two interventions that you are going to incorporate into your month.

3. Let us know how it goes! Leave a comment on this post or in the forum.

My Plan:

This month I am going to focus on refreshing my home. My goals are 1) wipe down all the baseboards in my house and 2) clean all of the windows on the inside of the house. Since these are some of my least favorite jobs, I am going to be blaring the music and using my favorite cleaner while I work.

I hope you’re inspired to refresh, renew, and repair!

Thanks for reading,

Abby