I’m back. Here’s where I went. I lost my watch and lost track of time. My hard drive died and I had no computer to check email or blog from. And we moved to our new home last week where we have no cell phone service. Zip. Zero. Zilch. No bars… And that’s when I got the message. The powers that be in this universe were telling me to pause and unwind. And unplug. So that’s what I’ve been doing. We’ve been unpacking – A LOT – and clearing out clutter both figuratively and literally. I had no idea that a physical move could trigger such emotional and spiritual movement too. It’s been very powerful to view this move as a time to de-clutter all thing. I’ve had a chance to look around and see what’s working and what isn’t. It has really been enlightening. From unneeded cords and clothing to relationships that were feeling unhealthy and without appropriate boundaries, I have opened my eyes to how I can increase joy and decrease stress.
The process began when I read a book that I mentioned a few weeks back called The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. It is an excellent read. While certain parts are a bit too drastic for me the hoarder, a lot of it really resonated. The brief synopsis is that in every aspect of our lives we must surround ourselves with things that bring us joy. It begins with simple things like books, clothing, and household items. If you feel your way through your closet and come across a shirt that makes you say “Ugh. That piece has just never fit me correctly.” you should give it away. If you’ve spent years holding onto old manuals for cameras and gadgets “just in case” you should throw them out. You really can rest assured that if you have questions about how to use them answers can be found on the web. And this theory of surrounding yourself with the things that bring you joy transcends to friendships and activities too. Do you dread going to the gym? Then maybe you are doing the wrong workouts. Skip the kickboxing class and try walking outside if the thought of that makes you happy. And do you find yourself making plans that you then dread when the time of the plan arrives? Then chances are you shouldn’t have said yes in the first place. Start to say no to more stuff and YES to the things you really want to do. In two weeks of this practice I am already feeling lighter and more joyful. Baby steps…
On a practical note Kondo also has some great tips for physical tidying up in the second half of the book. She explains how to fold clothes and stack them “on end” in your drawers so that you can see them and save space. I’ve adopted her method in all of our drawers and (NERD ALERT) I can’t even tell you how joyful I feel each time I open a drawer in our home. See how it’s done below!
Welcome back online but glad you took the timeout to focus on priorities! Also loving the space saver tips…always needed
Hope your new house is now feeling like home!
My mother, who verges on hoarder tendencies, is reading this book (not devotedly enough, though, because as far as I can tell there’s not a lot of tidying up going on). I like to open cabinets and turn to her and say, after glancing a teetering stack of mismatched pottery or the like, “Mum, is this bringing you joy?” She doesn’t love it as much, weirdly enough. xox