Over the years, I have decluttered my life in many ways. By doing so, I have seen massive improvements in my health and wellbeing. In my book Are you worth it? I linked the act of decluttering to supporting you with improving your mental health, but actually if you regularly declutter your home, your garden, your office, your car, your relationships, your computer, your wardrobes and drawers, etc regularly, you will see a noticeable change in all aspects of your health – spiritual, mental, emotional and physical.
Interestingly, over the pandemic, I volunteered for my local doctor’s surgery and delivered some prescriptions to people’s houses who were struggling to get out as they were shielding. I would have bags and bags of prescription medication for these people. Over time, I started to notice a bit of a trend when I approached a person’s house. There was a lot of clutter outside – rubbish, old cars, unkept gardens, paintwork needing painting, etc. It was indicative of the person inside who needed all this medication and I started to wonder what support these patients were given with their mental and emotional health. The rubbish was also an indication that they were not valuing their surroundings. When we do, there tends to be less rubbish, items are clean and not broke and our environment is well tended for.
From a more spiritual perspective, the act of decluttering is related to the art of Feng Shui. Feng Shui according to Wikepedia ‘is also known as Chinese Geomancy, is an ancient Chinese traditional practice which claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment. The term feng shui means, literally, “wind-water”. From ancient times, landscapes and bodies of water were thought to direct the flow of the universal Qi – “cosmic current” or energy – through places and structures. Because Qi has the same patterns as wind and water, a specialist who understands them can affect these flows to improve wealth, happiness, long life, and family; on the other hand, the wrong flow of Qi brings bad results.’
Japanese author Marie Kondo wrote the best selling book ‘The Life Changing Magic of Tidying’ in 2011. Marie explores how best to organise your environment for the best results. She has invented the ‘KonMari’ method of decluttering and organising your home. There are great tips in this book about how to organise yourself whilst clearing your space. If your house needs a lot of work doing to it, then I would recommend that you have some therapy first and potentially train in an emotional release tool too like the Balance Procedure or Emotional Freedom Technique as you will then find it easier to release certain items to charity, recycling or the bin.
Over the years, I’ve had several clients with hoarding tendencies. It hasn’t always been obvious that this was their problem though, as they presented with other issues such as depression, anxiety or a long term health issue. I now know to visit my client’s home or to ask them to give me a video tour when working with them, so that we can address the real issues which are going on for them. When you get to the heart of the problem – usually about loving and valuing yourself, you will find it much easier to move on and to declutter, clean and to fix items. If you would like more information about how I could support you, then email me at liz@insightfulminds.co.uk.
How to you make a start when you find everything so overwhelming?
- Ask a friend, professional organiser or therapist to work with you so that you are supported and keep going when you are finding it a challenge to make changes. Emotions of fear, doubt, sadness, grief, anxiety will all spring up when you are addressing your environment and they may trigger you in some way. Working with someone else will help you stay focused and stop you from sabotaging your progress by doing something else!
- Use the Balance Procedure cards on yourself when something does make you feel negative or bad, as you can then shift negative emotions quickly and easily. If you would like to know more about this amazing technique which I train others in, go to: Learn the Balance Procedure to transform your mental health (insightfulminds.co.uk)
- Work on small sections of the area you are decluttering/cleaning. Small goals e.g. a drawer or section of a room. As you complete them, you will feel better and get a better sense of achievement which will spur you on to continue
- Plan music, hydration, breaks and snacks ahead of time to make the process support you and the changes you are making. Self care is essential.
- If you have distractions such as children or pets, then ask someone to look after them for you, so that you can focus on the job in hand.
If you would like to have some therapy before you tackle your decluttering and cleaning, then please do get in touch at liz@insightfulminds.co.uk.
#decluttering #cleaning #mentalhealth #hoarding #therapy
