Life can be tough darling, but you know what? So are you!
It takes courage to face our demons and deal with repressed or unconscious aspects of our personality. But the flip side is that there is a life of freedom when we do.
It is through awareness and understanding, we recognize our unconscious actions, so as not to become a victim to the programmed patterns which accompany them.
In a nutshell, if we truly want to be free from the source of our suffering; fears, insecurities, doubts, negative beliefs, we must be willing to let go of the past in order to embrace the life that is waiting for us.
The same thing holds true for clutter. Facing your demons is the only way to resolve the clutter for good. Just clearing out your physical space will not take care of the problem.
If you’re interested in learning more about facing your clutter demons, check out my blog post by CLICKING HERE.
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There’s a question that stumps many people when I ask them: What is your clutter trying to tell you?
But before we get into answering that, let’s take a look at some of the reasons why you might have clutter to begin with.
Clutter usually starts when there is a significant life change. Examples may include a health setback, a death, loss of a relationship, a change in career, financial burden, and so on.
These life changes can impact a person and can trigger a range of emotions such as feeling anxious, depressed, sad, angry, frustrated, overwhelmed, stressed, etc.
Over time, if we do not deal with our emotions, they can activate a cycle of hopelessness and feeling stuck in life, all of which lead to a breakdown of the human spirit.
When the human spirit is compromised, it is only natural that inward feelings will be expressed outwardly, which we refer to as manifesting. For some, this outward manifestation means clutter.
Now, if we go back to the original question—What is your clutter trying to tell you?—and follow the trail of your clutter’s origin, the answer becomes more obvious. Perhaps there are some unresolved emotions and frustrations in your life that you haven’t dealt with. Take a close look at your life and the places where a life change may be manifesting as clutter.
Everyone’s clutter signifies something different. It’s important to understand how yours originated so you can begin to recognize some of the unresolved areas in your life that still need healing.
Healing your past pains is a crucial part of creating a life of joy and peace now. And once you can break out of your cycle of pain, anger, or hopelessness, you may find it becomes easier to reassess your clutter and see it for what it truly is.
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Do you get a little spring in your step as you greet the day?
If you do, that’s great! If not, why do you think that is?
Meeting the day with energy and confidence is a sign that you are feeling happy. There’s usually something to look forward to.
When I fill out my High Performance Planner for the day, it asks me, What’s One Thing I Can Get Excited About Today? By answering this question, it helps me take the focus off anything negative and refocus my attention to something positive. It works like a charm.
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I got inspired because I realized that people still have many questions about clutter.
Clutter is complicated. So I want to clear things up for you as much as I can.
There’s also another reason.
I want to give you an inside look at what life is really like for people once they are clutter-free.
There is a life way beyond clutter that exceeds most people’s expectations.
What most people don’t realize is that their entire life opens up to possibilities once they are clutter-free.
This picture can represent a fresh new start in their home or a new career for someone.
Do you see?
I’m going to show you what life really looks like for people beyond the clutter.
The course is called:
CLUTTER & BEYOND
how to break the cycle of clutter and recharge your life with purpose and passion
Regardless if you’re struggling with clutter or just trying to figure out what your next step in life might be, I’d like to invite you to my FREE class. You can grab your seat here.
I look forward to seeing you in the classroom.
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There are three strategies that can make your organizing efforts more successful.
It begins with taking a look at organizing from a psychological, social and tactical aspect.
Here’s a quick intro to get you started:
Psychological It’s extremely important that mentally you start out with a positive outlook and you maintain that throughout. Feeding your mind healthy thoughts is good for the brain and helps sustain your motivation. Using your mind to envision your outcome is also important by staying focused on the “outcome.”
Social We are humans and we’re not designed to do things alone. Having a support system is critical to your well-being. A mentor, friend, coach, peer, someone that you can openly and honestly talk to and receive feedback and pointers from is the key to following through.
Tactical Having an organizing plan that you can execute with confidence can make a huge difference with how you manage your time. Make sure you understand how to declutter, sort and organize in the most efficient manner.
All three strategies play an important role separately and collectively. Through the process of getting organized you may find yourself bouncing from one to the other for strength. endurance and stability.
Remember, organizing can be something you just “do” or it can be a lifestyle. It all depends upon how you choose to look at it.
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During one of my workshops, I asked the students to write down the reasons why it is so important for them to be organized.
Most of the answers were the same…
I want to be able to find my things
I don’t want to be late for appointments
I would like to have guests over to entertain
Then I asked them to write down the reasons why it is so important for them to find their things, not be late for appointments and have guests over.
And then something interesting happened…
Just about every student sat there with a vacant look on their face, similar to a deer in headlights stare.
You see, on the surface, people can generally express why they want to be organized, but when you ask them to get in touch with it on a deeper level, they find it rather difficult to articulate their feelings.
The truth of the matter is, people want to be more organized because they crave something much deeper. More meaningful.
The challenge is getting them to unleash the frustration, overwhelm and stress they have suppressed from playing hide-and-seek and cringing from embarrassment because they missed a deadline, showed up late or have to tell another fib about why they can’t have company over.
I have found in my 20+ some years of being in practice, that until a person can get in touch with the root cause of their clutter the cycle will continue. It is the reason why I created Coaching Through The Clutter; Mindful Tools for Organized Living. It is a coaching program that helps people not just release their clutter but also become more consciously aware so they can begin to make healthier choices in their life.
If you would like to learn more about this coaching program and how it can serve you, then I would love to connect with you. Simply click HERE to schedule a FREE call with me.
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There are many events that can take place in life and alter our course.
Some examples are:
Divorce/Ending of a Relationship
Care Giving
Illness/Death
Career Change/Retirement
Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance are a part of the framework that makes up our learning to live with these life changes.
It’s not unusual during these different stages to try and manage our emotions in an effort to comfort ourselves and feel better. Unfortunately we may not make the best decisions at the time and end up overeating, overspending and over drinking. All of which lead to clutter of the body, mind and environment.
We can also feel pure exhaustion and overwhelm and find it difficult to get things done that used to be part of our usual routine. This can include our household chores as well as our own self-care.
We are all human and there will be times when we will hurt. This is when we realize just how fragile we are. Being kind and patient with ourselves is key for our well-being.
As we begin to heal, we accept that life has changed and we find ourselves asking questions, such as:
What are the changes I need to make and how do I go about doing it?
Each person is different, therefore determining the proper strategy for your needs are unique to you. Working with a life coach to help you figure things out just might be the first step in the right direction.
If you’re interested, I’d like to offer you a free, no obligation consultation. Together we can discuss what changes are necessary for you to overcome the obstacles you are now facing.
Insight is invaluable. Inspiration is powerful. Action is life changing.
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Sometimes it just feels too tedious, too much, too overwhelming to get things done.
As hard as you try, and as much as you want to push through, you find yourself stopping and getting frustrated.
It’s a hard battle with clutter, especially during this time of year with tax season in full gear and papers piling up. Everything can feel, well, just too much!
This is the time when social organizing can be helpful.
Judith Kolberg writes about this in her book, Conquering Chronic Disorganization, discusses how many people find the act of organizing, sorting and weeding through difficult to do on their own. She writes about social organizing and also body doubling, which is where an organizer sits quietly, as a silent partner, and/or can facilitate by handing over paperwork, files, etc.
The key here is that the work would not be accomplished without the silent partner as a body double provides you with an anchor and a mirror.
Can you relate to this? Perhaps today is the day you recognize that you’re tired of wasting time, and getting nowhere. By working with a professional you can pull yourself out of this vicious cycle. Interestingly enough, the person helping you doesn’t have to be there in person in order for you to get things done.
I’ve worked for years virtually, helping people de-clutter their spaces, sort through their things, organize their rooms. There’s a level of comfort that provides the person the right dose of motivation and confidence to complete their tasks, simply by having me there to answer a question or give advice if needed.
With the commitment of a specified amount of time and the right dose of willingness, magic happens.
To make an appointment to see if social organizing is right for you, simply click here!
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Health and wellness touch each of us differently. This is one person’s story.
From early fall through the coldest months of the year, I’ve learned to expect (and manage) my seasonal affective disorder (SAD). As someone who also lives with an anxiety disorder and identifies as a highly sensitive person (HSP), I tend to look for the things I can control in my world.
Every August, without fail, I sit down to write my “winter prep list,” in which I check off areas of my home that need organizing and decluttering. Usually by November, my old coats have been donated, the floors have been scrubbed, and everything feels as if it’s in its proper place.
One of my first lines of defense in the battle against mental health challenges has always been to get organized. I’m preparing for those tough days when I won’t be able to lift a mop, let alone put a plate in the dishwasher.
It turns out my thinking is rooted in scientific studies that show organization is an effective tool to achieve a healthier life, both mentally and physically.
One study found that the physical act of tidying up one’s house can make a person more active and healthier overall.
Many professional organizers sing the praises of improving one’s mental health through organizing, including Patricia Diesel, an organizing expert, clutter coach, and the creator of a program called Mindful Tools for Organized Living.
As a certified chronic disorganization specialist and a hoarding specialist, Diesel has witnessed the power of organization in people’s lives.
“Addressing the emotional and mental components of clutter is critical to the underlying cause. I believe that clutter is an outward manifestation that mirrors the body and mind on overwhelm,” she explains.
5 small ways to organize for your mental health
If you’re in the throes of depression or healing from a panic attack, the thought of cleaning can certainly be overwhelming. But I also know clutter tends to make me descend even further into a negative mood. So, I’ve discovered my own ways to tackle organization without letting it tackle me.
Here are five ways to muddle through the clutter, even on your most challenging mental health days.
1. Throw perfection out the window
Even when I’ve been at my lowest, I’d often put pressure on myself to make things look “perfect.”
I’ve since learned perfection and mental health conditions tend to be in direct opposition of one another. The healthier route is to accept that my house may not look flawless during the winter months. If things are generally organized, I can accept the wayward dust bunny that may cross my path.
Diesel agrees with this approach as well.
“Organizing is not about perfection,” she says. “It’s about a quality of life standard. Everyone’s standards are different. As long as the organized environment is in alignment with those standards and it is not infringing upon a quality of life that is obstructing or detrimental to that person’s life, then usually a person will find acceptance and peace from that.”
Let go of your idea of “perfect,” and instead aim for a level of organization that doesn’t hurt your quality of life.
2. Break everything down into bite-sized pieces
Since overwhelm is a big deal to those who wrestle with mental health disorders, like anxiety, Diesel recommends breaking up an organization project into palatable pieces.
“I help people look at the overall project that needs to get done… then we break it down into different categories. Then we rate the priority of each category, and begin with the level that reduces the anxiety the most,” she explains.
“The goal is to have the person see the entire project, and then help them see how to accomplish it in a manageable way.”
Diesel recommends devoting 15 to 20 minutes per day to doing things that need to get done, like doing a load of laundry or sorting the mail.
Often, a little effort can reinvigorate the mind and build momentum toward increasing a feeling of motivation. But that’s not always the case if you’re living with a mental health issue. Be kind to yourself if you miss a day or are only able to commit to 10 minutes.
3. Let go of items that don’t serve you
Physical clutter often creates clutter in the mind, especially if that clutter has taken over your life and space. Diesel helps those with hoarding disorders, sharing tips that can benefit non-hoarders as well.
“It’s not so much about getting organized as it is about how to release and part with their things without shame or guilt. Once this is accomplished, the organizing is usually not an issue,” she says.
Diesel emphasizes the importance of considering what makes an item truly “valuable” as opposed to something you think might be valuable based on fear or other emotions.
4. Remove distractions
Being highly sensitive means I have a sensory disorder that can become overloaded very quickly. Loud noises, an abundance of clutter, and a to-do list in plain sight can instantly break my focus and pull me away from whatever project I’m working on.
When I’m getting organized, I make my surroundings as soothing as possible through peace and quiet. I set aside a block of time when I know I won’t be pulled away.
5. Visualize the end result
Out of all my mental health challenges, seasonal depression is the one that wrings me dry of any motivation to clean or get organized. Diesel says that’s because depression can create a mindset that feels defeated. In this case, it’s key to emphasize the final goal.
“I help people see the vision of the end result, and we use additional tools to help that vision come alive, whether it’s with a vision board or through journaling. The overall goal is to help them feel empowered,” she says.
And if all else fails, remember that you can always ask for help if you need it.
“People who suffer with disorganization is the body and mind on overwhelm, so having a support system and mindfulness tools to go to is extremely important for stability. Support is paramount,” Diesel says.
Shelby Deering is a lifestyle writer based in Madison, Wisconsin, with a master’s degree in journalism. She specializes in writing about wellness and for the past 13 years has contributed to national outlets including Prevention, Runner’s World, Well+Good, and more. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her meditating, searching for new organic beauty products, or exploring local trails with her husband and corgi, Ginger.
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