The winter can be an emotionally difficult time. We tend to spend more time indoors which can cause us feel to closed off. The winter months are a great time to focus on our emotional well-being and what we can do to improve it.
De-cluttering our physical space is a great way to improve our state of mind. Disorganization blocks the flow of energy in our space and within our bodies. We attach emotions to our stuff, both good and bad. Holding onto items that hold negative emotions can cause us pain. De-cluttering allows you to let go of those items that no longer serve you in a positive way.
Holding on too tightly to our past can cause us to feel stressed, push others away and make it hard to move onto a better version of ourselves. Clutter represents what we have not accomplished and is a physical manifestation of fears and regrets. The procrastination of not addressing clutter adds to those stress inducing feelings about the past and the future.
Feeling overwhelmed is one of the main obstacles to overcome when clearing your space. This is caused by our fight or flight response. The idea of letting go to our possessions can cause us to run away from the task, putting it off, and perpetuating the clutter. This feeling can also cause us to resist letting go of items we are emotionally attached to.
We can break this pattern and rewire our stress response by taking a few steps.
1. Slow down. Clearing clutter is a marathon, not a sprint. Be patient with yourself.
2. Start with focusing on the tasks or items that do not set off alarm bells.
3. Daily consistency. Pick an area and start with de-cluttering that space for 5 minutes per day until the task is complete.
Clearing our physical space allows us to clear our minds as well. Those physical reminders of the past or of unfinished projects keep us emotionally buried. Give yourself and your space some love and start clearing!