Decluttering for a Better Life – Part 1: Organizing Your Physical Space

Emotional Decluttering is as essential as physical decluttering. The decluttering of our physical space paves the way for the decluttering of our heart, mind, habits and relationships. We are so overwhelmed that at times we “don’t have the time to breathe”. The stress, responsibilities, family duty, all create chaos and clutter our mind, such that we are, at times, unable to feel calm and composed. Thoughts are like clouds that drift in our minds and it is not possible to hold the thoughts and place them in the ‘discard” container.

“When we throw out the physical clutter, we clear our minds. When we throw out the mental clutter, we clear our souls”- Gail Blanke.

Ways to declutter our mind

Breathe: The easiest way to declutter our thoughts is to breathe. Take long deep breaths, focus on each inhale and exhale. This will calm you.
Note: We have so many things on our mind, that we tend to overlook some of them. Noting the tasks to be done, makes it easier to organize and work towards them.
Important: We need to identify the important task at present and focus on it. We need to work as per the priority.
Unimportant: We need to identify the tasks that are unnecessary and unimportant and let go of them. This makes our mind clearer and gives us more time for the important ones.
Journaling: Penning your thoughts and feelings is a good way to realize what is worthwhile and what is not. This filters out all the bad thoughts, thereby making you feel calmer and relieved.
Mindfulness: Practising mindfulness is another way to declutter. Being present in the moment, without distractions, increases our awareness. We learn to focus and concentrate on the task at hand more effectively.
Sleep: A good night’s sleep is essential for our health. We may not realize it, but lack of sleep makes us lethargic and clouds our mind. Getting sound sleep relaxes us and makes us feel energetic and fresh when we awake in the morning.
Physical activity: It is good to engage in some sort of physical activity to declutter our thoughts. A walk, a jog, or any type of physical activity clears the mind.
No idiot box: Watching mindless television shows fill our heads with unnecessary noise, overload and maybe stressful. If we are a slave to the idiot box, we don’t achieve anything. The lesser television we watch, the calmer we feel, the more we can give time for our hobbies and happiness.
Nature: Taking some time in natural surroundings has a calming and soothing effect on us – activities like sitting in the park, walking by the sea, sitting and watching the rain, all have calming properties. You can engage in whichever activity works best for you.
Hobbies: Engage in hobbies that make you happy. You can learn new things or teach others, also. This piques your curiosity and challenges your brain, thereby sharpening it.
Less is more: Focus on a few tasks per day. Don’t try to accomplish everything and over-stress yourself. Doing less is good as it reduces stress. This helps you focus on the tasks and complete them better and sooner, with no errors.
Take your time: Whatever you do, take your time doing it. Do things at your pace and speed, thereby reducing any stress buildup.
Let go: Let go of negative emotions like anger, greed, hatred, envy, ego, frustration etc. as they are not helping you at all. It is difficult to let go of these, but, with time and patience you can do it. Make space for positive feelings like love, joy, peace, calmness, satisfaction.
Declutter: Declutter your surroundings, as this has a great calming effect on us. The less clutter we see, the better we feel. Decluttering our body by following a healthy lifestyle and self-care/self-love is also essential for our mental wellbeing.
Talk: The tornado of our thoughts engulfs us, and at times we feel lost and confused. You can always speak your heart out to a loved one. This will make you feel lighter and calmer.
Say no: We often unwillingly agree to tasks that we would rather not do. Saying no to such tasks is another way to reduce stress and is essential for your peace of mind. Do as much as is possible and don’t over-burden yourself.
Walk away: We may be caught up in an argument that is inconsequential to us. It is better to walk away from such arguments for our peace of mind.
Toxicity: Toxic habits or toxic relationships are very harmful to our health. Gather some courage and remove these toxins from your life. Easier said than done, but this is very important for moving ahead and making a fresh start with a positive outlook.