9 steps to Declutter your Environment & Improve your Mental & Physical Health
9 Steps to Declutter your Environment
The Keys to Improving your
Mental & Physical Health
Getting Rid of STUFF!
Prior to moving, my husband and I had been living, working and raising a family in the same house for 46 years. You can only imagine between my husband and myself studying so all the books, stationery, kids’ stuff and the list goes on. A few years prior to our decision to move, my husband and I realized that we needed to clear out this stuff. Go through it keep what we really needed and give away what we didn’t use. Now we have an environment that easy to both live from and work from, not to mention the emotional freedom it set free.
What Happens when you are Surrounded by Stuff!
Did you know that being “Surrounded by Stuff ” otherwise Known as Clutter has a Negative Effect on Your Mind, Achieving your Dreams and Your Health? When you are surrounded by mess and an accumulation of “Stuff”, that you no longer use or need. Your desk is just in disarray, and you don’t know where to start. Your wardrobe has so many clothes that you don’t know what to wear. This all clutters your mind blocking new and exciting things, people and events coming into your life.
This can be difficult at times knowing where to start, in the article below, you will learn how to Organize and Declutter your environment. How this will help free up your mind, to allow the new to emerge to bring emotional balance and harmony. How Decluttering will help renew your Motivation, getting your determination back on Track to continue following your Dreams.
How Did I accumulate so Much Stuff?
Isn’t amazing how much stuff we seem to accumulate.
I never wanted to become a hoarder, my dear Mum, was a hoarder.
As a child growing up, I was always wanting to tidy up, having things looking nice and organized. As an adult I have become quite organized and am not a terribly untidy person.
However, over the years, having a family, studying and working. It is just amazing how much stuff has accumulated.
Having gone through decluttering I have found it to be so enlightening and great for seemingly giving room. Not only in our house, but in my head for seeing what I have done and a vision into what might sound funny but a bright, clear future.
What is Clutter?
Clutter can range from hoarding paperwork, to having lots of ornaments, more furniture, crockery, cutlery, electrical appliances and clothing than we need or will ever use.
Everyone’s tolerance of clutter is different, I know for me before I can start a new project, buy new clothing or any other item I will go through what I already have deciding whether I need it and if I do and it is a matter of replacing something because it doesn’t work anymore or I don’t use it or wear it, it may well be broken.
Then I will either throw out the item or items or if they are still useful give them away to a charity organization.
Cleanliness for me is the next thing, I am not an excessive compulsive, but I do like my home to be clean and fresh as this makes me feel good. Even when we are renovating or doing household building or repair work. My husband and I will clean up as we go or have finished that particular area.
How Decluttering Improves your Mind!
When we are surrounded by piles of stuff in our homes, offices and personal space this is a great trigger of stress. This clutter increases your cortisol levels, creating chronic restlessness, lack of focus. Therefore, blocking us from moving forward with creating the life we want. Often this accumulation of clutter isn’t noticed until there is a major life event, such as moving house, death, marriage, divorce or changing jobs. With these changes this often forces us to declutter.
8 Areas How Clutter & Decluttering affect YOU!
1: Living and Dining Rooms: These are your main areas of entertainment, relaxation and enjoying life. If these are cluttered, you may well feel restricted and not truly comfortable to relax and enjoy your time in them.
2: Kitchen: Often our kitchen becomes a dumping ground for mail, electronic devices, purses, bags, vitamins and many other items. What happens here is that it becomes truly difficult to nourish ourselves or our family. We need space here to prepare our meals and feel joy whilst doing it.
3: Hallways: These connect to other areas of your home, if these are cluttered it prevents a positive energy flow from one room to another.
4: Bedroom: Our bedrooms are our place of rest, relaxation, re-energizing, intimacy and love. If this area is cluttered this will have you feeling tired, anxious and maybe even irritable. Unable to feel the warmth, love and passion with your partner.
5: Bathroom: The bathroom the area of pampering, preparing ourselves to face the day and evening when going to bed. So, what is the clutter in your bathroom, is it used every day or just a collection of everything you might use. Here is where you can minimize with pure, safe products to use on your body and hair.
6: Wardrobes: These where we can hide things from the world. If our wardrobes are stuffed with clothes, shoes and other items that we don’t use or wear this will block our ability to dress and groom ourselves simply, with a sense of happiness and joy. Our true insight and intuition come from how we see ourselves and how we see ourselves out there in the world. Your wardrobe needs to be a place of happiness and joy to present yourself to the world.
7: Ceiling: Ceilings or in some older homes there are attics. This like storing stuff maybe for a rainy day or you may well need it someday. Except one problem that day may never come and when it does, we may well forget that it is there, or it may have deteriorated to the point of not being able to be used. By letting go of storing things you are letting go of fear, allowing you to feel abundant and that you will always be taken care of.
8: Garage: Often this is a man’s world or man cave as mentioned. Clutter here will detract from your space and being able to enjoy your space. It may well mean that you can’t get your car out easily or do the things you want to do here. Decluttering here will give you the ability to move forward with your life.
9 Steps to Get Started to Lighten your Load!
I have to admit I have been a tidy person from when I was a child. Whenever my parents were out or I had the opportunity, I would clean and tidy up.
I have also been relatively ruthless without giving way to all sentimentality, but if it is something that is no longer required then it goes.
There is a right approach to this, and it is vitally important that I share this with you, so that you can transform your home also ultimately your life into the inspiring and peaceful place you want to be.
1: We are Talking tidying up all at once: I want you to allot 6 months to this project being completed. As tidying just, a bit at a time never works. The reason being that things will become untidy and messy again. Leaving you feeling despondent and ready to give up.
2: Visualize your destination. Before you begin throwing things out, visualize, picture how you want the area to look. Go through magazines looking at how you want your rooms to look, how you want to live. Then set a Goal of having a clutter free house and life. I will put things away as I use them, I will clean up as I go. I want to live in a happy, clean environment.
3: Determine your “Why” you want to live this way you are visualizing: The answer to your “Why?” maybe that you want to feel better, happier and able to find things easily. You may want to enjoy a better night’s sleep, be able to get dressed easily in the morning. Write these reasons down and go through them 3-5 times again. This will give you clarity and the energy to accomplish your tasks to achieve your decluttered home. You will be ready to move forward with your life.
4: What Sparks your Energy your feelings of True Joy and Happiness: Moving away from focusing solely on what you are throwing away, it is important to acknowledge things that don’t necessarily bring you joy or happiness. Focusing on things that you cherish, maybe even irreplaceable and you love. This will help to simplify your choices because the majority of “things” are replaceable and just take up unnecessary space. So, take time to connect with your inner feelings of what is truly important to your life.
5: Let’s get Organized: Tidy by category, not location. We are going to tidy by category not location. The reasoning here is in most households’ items may well fall into the same category but will be stored in multiple places.
You may be going through your clothes; it is important here that you then you must get all the clothes from every wardrobe or drawer even if in another room first. You can begin with say tops, then trousers, skirts and work from there. I would suggest then to hang in accordance to type of wear. For example, evening or special occasions together, work, casual, semi casual then together. Underwear is best suited with panties, bras, singlets, socks and pantyhose in separate drawers plus folded.
6: Keep things in order: So, have a plan in which order you are going to commence tidying Clothes, Books, Papers, ornaments, cookware, crockery, linen, fridge, pantry, skin, hair and body care products.
7: Sort into Piles: As you are going through the different areas or categories, put everything into piles. What you are going to keep, what need to be thrown out and what can be taken to the second shop. This must be done before you put anything away.
8: Keep the House Clean & Tidy as you go: This is a great way of not falling back into bad habits, as you have completed a particular area or location to tidy and declutter. Then go through and do a dust, vacuum and washing floors of the rest of the house. This helps to give you a more holistic feel of satisfaction.
9: Keep it up: Congratulations, you must be feeling Great now that your home is clutter free. So, let’s make sure that it stays that way. You made a decision and followed it through with hard work, a true commitment to have a clutter -free home. Now we are going to put into place the one in, one out rule.
For example, we wait for the toaster to blow up before we buy a new one. Then we throw it out, before buying the new one. Before you buy a new item of clothing check your wardrobe, work out what you are replacing give the unwanted item away, then buy the new item of clothing. Spend time each day sorting mail, cleaning up after you have done something, make the bed before going to work. Basically, clean up as you go and do a thorough house clean at least once a fortnight, if you have a family you may need to do this once a week. Also get the whole family involved as it is energizing and inspirational for everyone.
In the case of holding onto things for emotional reasons, this is a great way to begin trusting in yourself, relying on your intuition. Honouring your feelings whilst letting go of what doesn’t serve you anymore. When you put the process into action immediately it is like you have had a huge weight lifted from your shoulders. It is important for you to put into place your rules and what is suites you best. When you have completed the project, you will be left with only the things that liberate your energy, giving you a direct extension of your essence.
Remembering when you are giving away items to Charity
It is NOT that you are Throwing them Away!
You are Passing them on to be Loved and Cherished
Bringing Happiness and Joy into another person’s life
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