Decluttering and Wellbeing - It's so much more than just a practical task.
Decluttering is so much more than tidying up, so much more than making things look better.
It's a journey of self discovery, a trip down memory lane and an insight into how you live your life.
Wellbeing - a word we hear daily. Well I can sure you that feeling organised and decluttering your life has an enourmous and positive effect on our wellbeing.
•Too much 'stuff' weighs us down in general
•Having things we don't need around us not only physically clogs our home and surroundings, but mentally our minds too
•The guilt of avoiding cluttered areas in our homes goes
•Productivity increases
•You feel you have room to think and more time to enjoy life
•You reduce stress and anxiety
Start with a declutter
You will feel clearheaded and happy. Decluttering is good for the soul. It should be the start of most things you embark on in life. It sets you up and gets you in the right headspace.
Before moving home
Before having a baby
Before you start a new health/fitness regime
Before you start a new job
When you split from a partner
When life just changes
In my world it's not minimalism we try to achieve it's a friendly and practically organised home environment.
Quite simply it's nice to know where things are, know what you have and also make use of what you have. I don't believe this is achievable when you are disorganised or surrounded by clutter.
We do live in a world which is materialistic. We do gain happiness from gaining things. But I believe many of us also have made a conscious decision that less is truly more.
Life is busy, so busy, too busy - and it's hard to keep on top of even more so when we have too much around us to possibly handle efficiently.
Me and My Life
I've made changes in my life so that I have achievable amounts to do. I frequently declutter my home (just little things) and take an enormous amount of enjoyment passing things on that other will love more than I do.
Which brings me to why I know my subject so well. Because I know how my mind works. If I feel cluttered or my home is a mess I don't work well, my organisational skills slip and I forget things. I feel muddled.
I cannot live in a disorganised environment but this does not mean my home is immaculate 100% of the time nor does it mean I have a show home. I enjoy my space, love having visitors around and am absolutely comfortable with temporary mess. This is a healthy way to live. There will always be forms of mess around us and that's ok.
You'll learn to let go
Learning to let go is one of the biggest hurdles people seem to comes across. (Remembering I work with everyday people like you and I. I am a Professional Organiser but I do not work with hoarders because I do not feel qualified to.)
So there is a definite fear with most to let go whether it's something sentimental or not. I tell all of my clients not to worry. That what we are doing is kind of a stage one. That naturally in the coming weeks/months (many times without me even being there) they will hit stage two which is naturally and progressively letting go of more and more. Because I believe with many people getting go is a feeling you learn. Again this is from my own personal experience as well as working with clients for many years.
•You learn to let go of the fear.
•The fear you might need it someday - you cannot keep everything just in case
•The fear you will miss it - well you might, but life is far more important than material possessions and I'm sure you will get over it
•The fear you will forget - a photograph of an item can trigger just as many memories as the item itself (If a picture paints a thousand words then a photograph triggers a thousand thoughts)
•The fear you cannot explain - you just 'feel' it's not time yet
Just don't let the fear be an excuse - the feeling of being free from clutter is a far more positive experience
You will discover the feeling of happiness not dread when it leaves your home.