One of my recent quotes posted on a social networking site, was “Spring has sprung, spring cleaning has begun. De-clutter your home, de-clutter your mind and make space for the NEW & EXCITING.”
Clutter is defined as things that you do not use or love, that are untidy or unorganized, anything unfinished, or too many things in a small space. Many of us are familiar with clutter; sometimes we just don’t know where it all came from and how to get rid of it. Although clutter is technically, a material thing, clutter has a lot to do with not only our physical space, but our mental, emotional & spiritual space as well. Clutter accumulates when energy stagnates and vice versa and this stagnate energy can be in any and all areas of our lives.
Physically
Clutter can make you disorganized, and keep you from important things. How often have you not been able to find that crucial piece of paper that “should” be here… but is not. Perhaps it is, just buried under piles and piles of stuff. If everything were in its proper place, how simple it would be to move through your life. A piece of paper is an example but I am sure we have all experienced this with “missing” items, keys, that favorite blue shirt, etc. Additionally, when your living/ work space is cluttered and full, it gives you a feeling of claustrophobia; a boxed in feeling of “how do I get out?”
Mentally
One of the big reasons for keeping clutter is status and security. Our mentality in the Western world is to make money and to have things. To be able to keep up with “the Joneses”; to show that we are worthy of an abundance of stuff. We have security in having possessions to prove that we are keeping up with the times and the neighbors and the changing world. The problem with this is, and I am sure many of you can feel this, that there is always something NEW and FLASHY and IMPROVED coming out on the market, that we must have. We will never feel secure, as there are always more steps to take. Having clutter can affect your mind in many ways; it can confuse you, as it is tough to have mental clarity when there is “stuff” everywhere around you. It can make you procrastinate, as it is a bigger job when there is SO much stuff to deal with at one time. Clutter can definitely cause disharmony in your house especially if you live with other people and it can sometimes make you feel ashamed that you hold onto so much that blocks your space.
Spiritually
Holding onto clutter is a way of telling the universe that you do not believe that it will provide for you when the time comes. You may be holding onto things in case you need them later on, but you need to recognize that the universe will look after you in the future, and that you need to let the clutter go in the present.
All things need to end for new things to begin. Clutter can keep you in the past, not allowing new things to enter your life. Trust and have faith that you will be provided for, at the proper & exact moment that you require it and no sooner. God/ Jehovah/ Allah/ the Universe/ Higher Being works on their time… not ours, for the all-knowing knows what we need, when we need it.
Clearing out
Any time is a good time to start clearing your clutter; there is never a perfect time except when there is a perfect time for you. Start small so as not to feel overwhelmed and work your way up to the bigger things.
There are steps to determine what is clutter in your life:
1/ does it lift my energy/ make me happy when I look at it?
2/ do I LOVE it?
3/ is it useful?
As you go through these questions with each item, you will want to put them into the appropriate boxes as noted below.
Steps for clearing your clutter:
~ Trash box- junk destined for the trash. Period.
~ Repairs Box- things that need to be repaired, renovated, altered. Only keep things that you are sure that you want and give yourself a time limit to repair them.
~ Recycling Box- things to be recycled, given to friends, re-gifted etc. Release them back into the world so someone else can use them. * this is a big one ~ sometimes we have items that we absolutely LOVE and yet, we have never used them or have not looked at them in years/ months. Although we do love these items, if we are not using them, release them into the world, for a new home and someone who can use them and appreciate them *
~ Transit Box- Things that need to go to another room, directly into their own space.
Once you have sorted your clutter, GET RID OF IT! J
~ Trash- you can use your normal trash pick up or call your city for a special pick up of larger items or more bags than typically allowed on a regular pick up.
~ Gifting- gifting or giving to friends, charity shops, etc. Set a date for yourself to empty this box by so that it does not sit around and become new clutter. Also contact charities that pick up, if items are large or boxes are many. Ie. Salvation Army, Canadian Diabetes, March of Dimes etc. Make some calls, you’d be surprised at what you may find.
~ Selling- by all means, if you have enough items here and have the fortitude to put together a garage sale, do it. An excellent idea to clear your clutter and perhaps get a bit of a financial gain that you may have lost while these items have been sitting around your house.
Staying clutter free:
Keep everything in its proper place where it is most needed to help you get organized. Buying a filing cabinet or filing system for paperwork is a great idea and keeps things right where they need to be, when you are looking for them.
Empty wastebaskets in your home regularly, ideally daily. This may seem to be a small and troublesome task but the difference it makes is overwhelming. Just looking at empty clean wastebaskets consistently is refreshing, rather then seeing full, overflowing garbage’s, which is stagnant, dirty energy just sitting there.
Stop clutter before it starts:
When you are shopping, think twice before you buy, do you really need it, do you really love it? A personal trick that I use is I walk away, and sleep on it for a few days, if I dream about it and think about it, then it is the item for me and I go back to it. I know what you are thinking… What if it is gone when I go back? Well, if it is… then it really wasn’t meant for me. Trust in life to provide you with what you need, when you need it.
When you have things to put away, don’t say “I will leave it here for now”. Simply get moving and put it away, NOW. I started this process with my children and it really works. When they say that they are leaving something here for now and will put it away later, they inevitably forget and 2 days later, the item is still sitting there. Instead, it’s “put it away NOW and its all taken care of”
And if you are prone to hoarding, tell yourself, something new IN, something goes OUT. In that way, you are never stock piling but staying consistent with your possessions.
If you feel that you require the assistance of professionals, they are certainly available and all you have to do is google them in your area or check your local phone book. Sometimes one session with a professional will give you the boost that you need to get going on your own and maintain a clutter free living.
On a personal note, my clutter was very much entwined with my head. My mind was cluttered so my physical space was cluttered; my physical space was cluttered because my mind was cluttered and I could not get the motivation to clear either of them and I was severely stuck. As I counsel others, I notice that this is a common trait.
Mental clutter: stop worrying! When you worry about an issue, you are giving it energy and putting it out there into the universe to grow and manifest, which is so not what you want at all. Stop worrying about the bad stuff but concentrate instead on the good stuff, let that build energy and catapult into the universe to grow for you.
Stop the gossiping, the complaining, the moaning & groaning. These are all negative forms of communication that may come back to affect you. Instead focus on change, or focus on the good aspects of things…in the least, if you cannot find any of those things, then bless the situations and let them flow through accordingly, without stressing & putting too much of your energy into them.
In this day and age of stress, post recession, financial struggles and other mind consuming ideas, a lot of us have problems sleeping which is not surprising!
Try keeping a notebook at your bedside to jot down any last minute thoughts before you go to bed. Once they are written down, they are “off” of your mind, clearing you for sleep and they are noted for you to deal with the next day. Period!
Additionally, the book is also there throughout the night, if you wake up with a nagging thought that you need to jot down to release it from your mind.
Emotional Clutter:
We have discussed clutter in physical form (stuff) & mental form & spiritual form however clutter also manifests in emotional form, which I will not get into too much here but it is a very important form. I think that many of us are starting to learn that from other clichés of “only keeping positive people in your inner circle” or “keep negativity away” ~ this ties into so called “friends” who drain your energy or pull you down with negative attitudes, groans & complaints.
There are many people in the world and we are free to select whom we choose to be friends with. Choose people that lift you up, that inspire you, that help you to be a better person or in the least whose company you enjoy. If you feel that your energy fields are incompatible with another’s, don’t take it too hard. It doesn’t mean that they or you are bad people; it just means that you are not completely compatible and perhaps it is time for change. Do not feel guilty for any decisions that you need to make, to ensure your well-being.
Ramona Cayonne
Reiki Practitioner * Tarot/ Intuitive Readings * Supportive Listening
ramona.cayonne@gmail.com
905.725.1177
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