We are up to our 4th week in the Spring Cleaning for the Body, Mind & Soul free series!
This week is all about environment. Usually, when we think of Spring Cleaning, we think of our homes and our environments. And while I’m an expert when
it comes to cleaning up your healthy habits, I’ve got to admit, when it comes to my physical surroundings- I could use some help, too. (toys! clothes! what even IS all this stuff?!?)
I figure, if I know what I like and know what helps me, chances are it’ll help you as well.
First let me ask you, how do you feel when you walk in your front door and everything is all neat and tidy? I know I smile and breathe a little bit more deeply.
And when I walk in and there are toys and laundry everywhere, I feel my heart start to beat a little bit faster and I feel drained and tired almost instantaneously.
What it comes down to, for me, is that CLUTTER is the enemy! I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure I don’t need all this stuff. And I don’t think the kids would notice if one or two of their toys suddenly went missing…
So how do you handle it? No, really, I’d like to know! CLICK HERE to tell me how you handle your clutter and let’s share ideas.
Here’s what I’ve got:
1- Share your abundance! – One of the reasons I hold on to ‘stuff’ is because I feel guilty throwing it away. It could be for any reason- maybe it was a gift, maybe I think it’s good quality and that I don’t want to throw it in the garbage even though I don’t like it, maybe I’m just waiting for the perfect time to test it out… And what I’ve done when this stuff comes up for me is I find a way to share it with people who will appreciate it. I just googled ‘donation sources’ and found all KINDS of links to give my amazing stuff to. I’m sure you could narrow it down to specifics. Google it up. It’s just that easy.
2- Where’d all this stuff come from?! – Sometimes I’m not actually interested in the ‘stuff’ anymore, but it kinda just piled up and I don’t know how that happened. Looking at a pile of stuff makes me tired. Doesn’t have to be a pile. It could be a box of stuff. A bag of stuff. A cabinet of stuff. You have to just get in there and go through it. What I do is set a timer. If I’m worried I’ll run screaming from the house, I just set it for 10 minutes. I can do anything for 10 minutes! I just set that timer and dedicate that bit of time towards just that particular segment of stuff. And often this creates momentum. You start with just 10 minutes, but then you get kinda into it and can get through a whole box, pile, bag, cabinet! And if not, at least you got 10 minutes done.
3- I didn’t even make a dent. Bah! – One of the most frustrating things is spending a ton of time on clutter clearing and feeling like nothing got done. It did, though. You’ve got to know that. It really did! Whether you can see it or not, you made a dent and you’re moving in the right direction. If you’ve got a really overwhelming mess, just focus on small steps every day. Even if it’s just 10 minutes. You will get there!
4- Emotional Attachments – We have emotional attachments to our belongings. Sometimes you’ve got to sit down with something and literally ask yourself why you’re keeping it. This really helps you identify what the block is. If you’re on the fence about a particular item, then put it in a ‘maybe’ box. Come back and revisit your maybe box in 2-4 weeks. (I just threw my ‘maybe’ box away today!)
5- Methods you may have heard- Then there are the tried and true methods that you read about in other books. If you haven’t worn it in over a year, throw it out (I haven’t worn some of my clothes in 3 years with back to back babies coming through, so I’m not following this one currently. I JUST now started fitting into my clothes again!) If you love it, if it’s beautiful to you, if it has a practical purpose and you actually use it, or if it has true sentimental value to you, then keep it. Otherwise, out it goes.
Remember that it doesn’t have to go in the garbage. There are people out there who will value your stuff. Just google ‘donation sources’ and give give give.
Another little tidbit that I’ll just add is that I believe that by clearing space, you make room for more amazing things and experiences to come your way. So clear the path and allow some newness to enter your life.
Enjoy your purge!
Miranda
P.S. Share your thoughts in the comment section just below this article
If you missed the previous weeks, here are the links:
Week 1: Spring Clean your DIET
Week 2: Spring Clean your BODY
Week 3: Spring Clean STRESS FREE
Photo credit to AKARAKINGDOMS at freedigitalphotos.net