When we’re in recovering mode, every step to simplify and streamline our lives matters. This is why I’m a big proponent of decluttering, and only keeping what you actually use. You see, right now we need everything in our lives to be as easy as possible. That means that you should not need to think or make any decisions what so ever, in order to use your day to day items and run your routine chores. If something isn’t easy to use, then we have a massive problem – because it isn’t just that extra thought that counts, but the unnecessary extra energy it consumes that we need to have for the rest of the day.
The reason clutter is destroying your inner peace (and your healing)
I’ve compiled a list of the three main reasons why decluttering should be on the top of your to do list if you’re experiencing any stage of burnout or other energy deficit. Before we start I’d like to insert an important disclaimer: You don’t have to consider yourself a minimalist to appreciate the effects that decluttering will have on your life! As you read further, you’ll understand how a profound effect it can have on your life by “simply” getting rid of things that aren’t serving you.
Toxic clutter is bullying you with guilt and shame
Toxic clutter is what we call things we keep that evoke negative emotions and feelings. A few examples:
- Clothes that don’t fit – tells you that you should be a certain weight, eat better, move more, etc.
- Items from a past relationship – can elicit strong emotions (you name it) by uncovering memories every time you see or touch the item.
- Inherited things we don’t actually want – might create a sense of guilt and shame for not wanting to keep the item.
- Kitchen appliances that never gets used – oh, the shame is real. Buying something expensive, not liking it, don’t want to waste money, I “should” use this thing because everyone swears by it…
You wouldn’t let a bully stay in your home, let alone live in it rent free, so why would you let these things* do just that?
(*items without emotions or any kind of ability to judge you)
There’s absolutely no reason to keep toxic clutter, but I know the process of getting rid of certain items can be tough and will require some emotional grit out of you. Don’t try to force-declutter emotional items on a low day, that’s not a good combo for anyone. Take it as you feel the surge of motivation, no need to do everything in one day, and let it just be an awareness that you keep with you for the rest of the time. The good thing is that you’ll feel such an immense relief as soon as it’s gone!
The silent to do list
Items that fall under this category may or may not also fall under the first category of toxic clutter. The term comes from the book Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki, and refers to the hidden demands that our inanimate things pose on us. “Wash me”, “fold me”, “use me”, “tidy me up”. Only you know what your items whisper-scream at you every day, and you can see that it’s not only clutter that will do this to us but also the stuff we actually use on a regular basis (more on this under the next category).
I like to think of it this way: If you were to write the action down on an actual to do list – what would your immediate reaction be? Yes, probably “I don’t want to”, so why? Is it because…
- It’s too much → Declutter down to only what you use.
- I don’t like it → Remove it from your life
- I feel overwhelmed → Declutter down to only what you use.
The creative reasons we can come up with for keeping something are infinite, but there are only so many core reasons of why you shouldn’t keep an item. Don’t continue taking care of stuff that causes you distress!
And also, don’t forget maybe the most important question that’s so easy to oversee:
“Do I actually need to do this at all?”
Don’t keep things in your life that set you up for failure. If it doesn’t align with your season of life or your values right now, do yourself a favor and get rid of it so you can focus your attention on the things that truly matter ❤️
Too much stuff in the way
The thing with simplifying tasks is that any excess needs to go somewhere else. Wether that’s in the trash, donation bin, storage, or pantry doesn’t matter – you just need it to be removed from your prime real estate. A big chance is that your clothes isn’t being put away because the closet is already full to it’s capacity. Your mornings are hectic because every day you need to find your daily use toiletries in a drawer filled with extra toothbrushes, hair ties and half-empty skin care products.
Living doesn’t need to be this hard, but it requires you to recognize the areas where things pile up and never gets used.
Challenge your kitchen
The kitchen is a fun place to start as you’ll notice such a drastic improvement in your mental function already the same day. You’ll only need a big box or bag for this.
Empty out a drawer. Looking at the things you’ve taken out, only put back the things that you actually use on a regular basis. No duplicates. Everything else goes in the box. No hard decisions here, just putting it in the box and letting it rest for at least a week (preferably longer). If you miss something, you’ll just go get it from the box and put it back in the drawer.
Keep emptying out more drawers, shelves and the worktop until you’ve covered your whole kitchen. If you only have time for one drawer – you do one drawer and promise yourself to come back tomorrow and do another prime real estate area in your kitchen.
You’ll most likely not want to put everything back in it’s original state after a week, so the box will continue standing on hold for a while longer. After a year (having gone through all the seasons and holidays), you can be certain that everything in the box is ready to find another home. It doesn’t mean that you don’t like it, just that it doesn’t fit your life atm and that’s OK!
The take away message
As you can see, the stuff we keep impact our mental capacity greatly. When it comes to dealing with a low energy season, we need to be ruthless when it comes to what we’re keeping in our homes! You actually can’t afford to keep things that drag you down, either it’s by eliciting negative emotions or by creating excess work. If you need help or support with how to get started, feel free to send me a message and I’ll be happy to help!
