“Decluttering.” A glorious verb which I have come to appreciate more and more. There’s nothing like living with a clear mind or in a clean area. Here’s ten ways in which I like to bring myself back up when the clutter is weighing my mind down.

• Clean your living area. I know that when I live in a messy area, I can never find
  anything to wear, I’m not as motivated, I skip the gym and my eating patterns are out of control. Seeing my belongings everywhere and not knowing where things are knocks me out of my routine. I’ve figured out that if I live in a messy area, the rest of my life feels disorganised; despite how well everything else can be going.

• Write a list of things that you need to achieve within a particular time frame. Start each dot point with “I will…” For example, “I will sleep all day.” Ok, that probably isn’t on our to-do lists but one can dream.

 

• If you’re feeling stressed or emotional, write down how you’re feeling. Be brutally honest. Feel free to swear, feel sorry for yourself…anything you want. Getting those feelings out without having to filter your thoughts will give you a sense of relief. Not to mention that sometimes, seeing it on paper helps you think that perhaps the problem isn’t as big as you thought! If it’s an issue that you want to let go of, rip it up and throw it away.

 

• Be outdoors. Take your shoes off and walk in the grass or the sand. Go for a walk by the beach or river. Read your book in the backyard or just go and water your plants. Being outside and in nature is like meditation.

 

• On that note, mediate! Type ‘meditation’ in the App Store and you will find numerous apps that assist with meditation. Even YouTube and books can help you. Or just close your eyes and focus on your breathing.

 

• Read a book. Reading is a form of meditation. A good book takes you to another place, you become another person and you’re taken into another life. For a while, your thoughts are distracted and you get a break from yourself.

 

• Hug someone you love! It gives you a sense of relief! Cuddle on the couch! It doesn’t have to be with a romantic partner, my sister and I do it all the time! Is that weird? Pets are also good for this!

 

• Declutter your areas! Give away all the shoes and clothes that are cramping your room and all the knick knacks around the house…Will you miss most of them if you get rid of them? Nope. Throw out all the papers you don’t need, clean your car and try and make your areas more simplistic.

 

• Limit the amount of information coming in. Don’t check your emails every hour, you don’t have to go to everything you’re invited to, nor are you obliged to take on everyone’s problems. There’s being selfless and then there’s running around like a miserable headless chicken! Pick your battles!

 

• Make those decisions. Bite the bullet and just do it. No matter what, you’ll never be ready. No matter which path you choose, it’ll be the right one, even if you may not think so at the time. Be brave.

 

We live in an overly stimulating society where our brains are taking in more and more. So, don’t forget that decluttering happens constantly. Just like cleaning your room, cleaning your mind requires maintenance. Simplistic living is the best kind of living if you ask me! I mean, you haven’t asked me but there you go. Happy decluttering, friends.

Lots of love,

Magda xx