Clearing the Clutter
How to find freedom and space in both your surroundings and your mind
“Declutter your stuff,
uncover your life.”
Unknown
The other day as I sat down at my desk to do some journaling, I noticed that I was feeling a little agitated.
I spent a minute or two quietly trying to connect with the feeling and get curious as to why it was there. Then, as I looked around the space I was in, it occurred to me that my desk was really disorganized, and that’s just what I could see. I knew that the chaos inside the desk drawers was even worse.
Papers, pens, journals, stickers, and old bills and notes, were all stacked in piles alongside my phone, an iPad, and other unnecessary small bits of stuff.
It was a cluttered mess and, as a result, my mind felt like a cluttered mess as well.
As I sat there, I started to get even more agitated and annoyed, and then I remembered my mindfulness skills and I took a few breaths, calmed my nervous system and came up with a plan.
For the next 5 minutes I cleaned the surface of my desk. I sorted and managed to throw out some of the old papers. I moved some of my stationery supplies to the drawer (with a promise to myself to tackle that later) and straightened up what was left. My personal sanctuary space was back in a semblance of order.
When I was done I took a deep breath and checked in with myself again. As you may have guessed, I felt much calmer and I was able to start writing.
The places we live in, our living spaces, are often a reflection of our minds. If you’re feeling confused and scattered, like your mind is full of tangled wires, then it’s quite likely that your house is a little (or a lot) cluttered as well.
Visual clutter takes up space in your mind. It sits there along with all your to-do lists, tasks, and schedules, causing even more stress and overwhelm.
We can think of our homes as a metaphor for our thoughts and our lives. What sort of living space do you dream about? What does it look like? How does it make you feel?
Do you like a big, roomy, light and airy space with very little on the surfaces? Or do you prefer something smaller and cozier, with all your favourite things surrounding you?
What type of space helps you to feel calm and relaxed? There’s no right answer; it’s all personal preference.
Everybody’s definition of clutter is different. For example, I love being surrounded by books and all my favourite things and my definition of clearing the clutter is to make sure it’s somewhat organized. Yours may be to have every surface completely clean.
There’s no right or wrong way to create your personal space. I would invite you, though, to notice when you feel uncomfortable with all the clutter and mess, yet you procrastinate about doing anything to change it. Notice the stories you’re telling yourself about the clutter, and especially notice when you say things to yourself like “I’m always disorganized” or “It’s just the way I am”. Is that really true?
If you’re wondering how your space makes you feel, check in with your body’s compass, your own internal way to measure whether something is good for you or not. How do you feel when you’re in this space? Does your mind race and feel jumbled, or do you feel peace and calm? For me, that’s the true test.
Here are my top 5 tips to help you declutter your living space and your mind:
Spend some time dreaming…..What does your ideal living space look like? Close your eyes, connect to your breath, and spend some time visualizing what you’d like in that space. What are the colours? What is, or isn’t, in the space? Notice how your body reacts when you think about your living space. How would decluttering your home affect how you feel? Spend some time journaling about what you discover.
Choose one room to start……Where do you spend the most time in your home? If it’s a big space, then pick a section and that’s where you can start. The key is to not further overwhelm an already overwhelmed mind.
Set a timer for 5 minutes…You can get a lot of decluttering done in 5 minutes. I know this because it’s something I do almost every day. I had my whole desk cleared and ready to journal in less than 5 minutes. If your room is too big for a 5-minute clean sweep, then just pick part of the room. Do one drawer in your dresser or one shelf in a cupboard. Show yourself what you can do.
Develop daily habits that support you…If you’re someone who leaves dirty dishes in the sink, or laundry on the floor, try setting times each day to do the dishes and create a habit of putting your clothes away before they hit the floor. Once you’ve been doing this for a few days, it will become a habit. The lives we want can be found in our daily habits.
Create a sanctuary space…..Pick a place in your home (it doesn’t need to be a large space) where you can always just be; a place all your own with only your things; a calm oasis. It may be a meditation corner, a writing desk (like mine), or a reading nook. It’s a place where the tangles in your mind can unravel and you can relax. Creating a space where you can clear your mind of all its clutter will help you keep your physical space clutter-free too.
Once you start clearing the clutter around you on a regular basis, you may start to notice that you feel calmer as well. Reducing the clutter around you opens up possibilities, not only in your physical space, but in your emotional body as well. You’ll find that you’re calmer, more creative, more centered, and less overwhelmed.
“Clearing clutter - be it physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual -
brings about ease and inspires a sense of peace, calm, and
tranquility.”
Laurie Buchanan
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"I felt at complete ease with Sharon from our first conversation. She has a wonderful, gentle but firm way that made me focus on my thoughts / feelings so I could remove / change to move forward with a completely different feeling to what felt like obstacles. It was great having regular coaching that gently kept me accountable to actioning and moving towards my goals. Sharon has vast experience in so many areas, I felt that makes her an amazing coach.”
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