I recently wrote about fear and how it’s a mental experience. This week I was on a mission to clear out the old to make room for the new. It’s a mental action that has real-life significance.
Let me explain what I mean.
Every quarter involves welcoming new things to my life. New clients, new community members, as well as a new season with a wardrobe to match. The activities my family is involved with shifts and new long weekends and potential vacation schedules slide their way into my calendar.
All that planning takes up mental space – and real-world time.
In the midst of all this planning, it’s easy for some tasks to fall by the wayside. Things like sorting mail or tidying up your home and work space. Have you ever found yourself going about your day doing various tasks and seeing clutter stowed away, then making a mental note to “sort that out later”?
A chaotic environment can make for a chaotic mind.
You know what I’m talking about. You walk into your office with a timeline to meet and see various stacks of papers on the desk or filing cabinet. All of a sudden, the timeline seems even more urgent and in your mind becomes a “deadline,” like now there’s more to do than you thought.
Or, you wake up in the morning a little late because you were so tired from the day before and you can’t find the notes for your meeting that day. To make matters worse, you’re having a difficult time finding something to wear that fits from your full-to-the-brim closet. All this is happening while your kids are calling for your help to find their missing tablet. The day has barely begun and your heart is racing.
My adrenaline is rising just writing about this!
I know how it feels all too well, from past experience. The impact that clutter has on our minds is so subtle. Even if you don’t recognize it impacting you, what happens in your subconscious begins to affect your thoughts, your adrenal system, and eventually your overall health. But you can change all that.
Think 5-Star hotel.
You’ve travelled all day, you’re tired, hungry, and would love a hot shower. You slide your hotel room key in to open the door, drop your bags in the entry, and heave a sigh of relief. Looking around, your heart rate slows and you saunter over to the bed where you sit and look around. If the hotel you chose is a nice one, you see a clean room with calming colours, sparse decor, and clean lines. You begin to feel relaxed in your home-away-from-home.
Take it with you.
As you picture this imaginary scene, think about how it would feel to open the door to your home and feeling the same: relaxed and at peace. Clearing your personal space creates a sense of calm and makes room for new, good things to enter your life.
I find each new quarter an excellent time for this. After each season, and all the activity they bring, the interior of our homes can tend to get neglected and things can pile up. As we plan for the next season, our environment naturally needs to shift somewhat. There’s also a mental shift that takes place.
Use it to your advantage.
Now is a great time to re-evaluate how you’re using the space in your home, office space, or car. Decluttering and donating those items that don’t fit your current lifestyle can make room for new ideas, experiences, and things to enter in the coming months.
As you enter into the coming season, I hope that your mind is free to focus on the people, life, and work that is meaningful to you. May you free yourself from any chaos that has crept in around you and live that vibrant life you want.
Tell Me:
What area of your home is the most challenging for you to keep tidy? What has worked for you to stay clear of clutter in your life? Tell me below in the comments. Reorganizing or removing items in a space is a simple way to bring new life to your environment.
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Blessings,
Sheila
