Baggage Claim

Unpack all the emotional baggage in 2019 and watch your life flourish.

- Andanje Wobanda

For most of us, the fresh pages of a New Year’s calendar often brings to mind a clean slate; new beginnings, new promises, new convictions and new relationships. It is easy to chant the slogan ‘New Year, New Me’ every time a new year rolls by, but how possible is it to be a new you when you are carrying past hurts, anger or a lifetime of sorrow? Emotional baggage is the subconsciously stored psychological pain that often attracts repeat incidents because we have unresolved issues. The pain influences how we deal with new situations and issues and how we interact with people.

Here are a few steps you can take to get rid of your excess baggage and breathe fresh life into your New Year.

IDENTIFY YOUR BAGGAGE.

The first step is to accept that you are carrying buggage. If you feel unfulfilled and are chronically unhappy, are terrified of being alone, you keep comparing yourself to others, worry you are not good enough or have a hard time bonding with your children and feel that parenting is a chore, chances are that you have some emotional baggage. Depression, anxiety, anger or a combination of all of these is mostly a result of emotional baggage according to Audrey Sherman, a psychologist and author of the book Dysfunction Interrupted-How to Quickly Overcome Depression, Anxiety and Anger Starting Now.

ANALYZE YOUR BAGGAGE