Declutter Your Mind for Peace
“Cultivating a Declutter Mindset”
How do we keep our homes feeling clean and organized, spend meaningful time with our family and friends, find time for ourselves to do what we love, have a fulfilling work life, the list goes on? I can’t help but think sometimes that the current pace of modern day life just might not be sustainable. Is anyone else with me? I like to think that I can multitask, but lately, I am realizing just how much I crave that feeling of “PRESENCE” or “SLOWNESS” of doing one thing at a time. Being present with my thoughts, present in a moment with my kids, present observing nature on a walk, or even present folding the laundry! But it can be so hard sometimes!
We do not have all the answers, but we do have a few helpful tips that we think can help us all become more present and eliminate some of this overwhelm that can come with trying to keep up with the pace of life. Decluttering all those items on that list, and being present? It starts with decluttering your mindset.
MOVE SLOWLY and take your time at EVERYTHING
I don’t know about you, but I get a bit cranky when I’m in a hurry and I start to “buzz.” My heart-rate speeds up, I am less focused, and I am more easily agitated. Lately, I am finding that if I can be conscious of taking my time, I FEEL better. If I am vacuuming, I can be conscious of moving at a leisurely pace. If I’m driving, I’ll try to go the speed limit. If I’m cleaning up the kitchen, I will take my time to put things away. We are a big fan of using a timer to see “how much” we can get done in a certain amount of time, but what about the opposite? Set a timer for 10 minutes and challenge yourself to just do ONE thing. Keep doing that in increments that feel good to you.
Slow.
Down.
Being conscious of feeling less hurried takes the edge off. Added bonus-this is the practice of mindfulness, which makes us feel even better!
Create a “HAPPY PLACE” in your home
Create a space in your home that feels calming and SAFE. For me this is the couch in my front living room. This is a space that I can keep clean and organized regularly and that FEELS good. It’s filled with plants, natural light, and colors that bring me joy. In the mornings, this is where I read, journal, and have my cup of coffee. Or sometimes I simply drink my coffee and watch the sunrise before my oldest joins me when he wakes up. Having a “go to” happy or calming space in your home not only helps us to feel more peace and presence, but gives us a place to LOOK FORWARD to going. Where is YOUR happy place?
Declutter your MIND
Just like it feels good to declutter our homes, it feels good to create extra space in our minds. I like to declutter my mind at either the beginning or end of my day by writing down all the things that I cannot control. I like to call this my “surrender practice.” It’s an acknowledgement of the things that are in my control and the areas of my life that are not. Just writing something down releases the space it takes up in your brain (it’s literally science). If it’s not things that I can’t control, I am sometimes writing gratitudes, how I am feeling, or simply writing down all of the thoughts floating around in my head.
After I do this, I often feel a deeper sense of peace and calm to start my day. I even often notice myself feeling more present and joyful with others and especially my family. I truly believe that our brains and bodies are in need of calm and slowness more than ever. Our nervous systems are overloaded with stimulation all around us. But, fortunately, a few small steps a day can drastically change our nervous system and how we feel in our spaces and daily life.
Move your body-going for a walk almost ALWAYS works to help me declutter my mind! I can feel myself start to breathe easier and inspiration nearly always comes. It doesn’t even have to be outside (we know that Midwest weather has mood swings!). Walk around your house, up and down your stairs. This energy literally being released from your body can help clear up space to use it on other tasks.
We’re also going to tell you to go outside - even if it’s just a few minutes. Breathe in the air, and stand barefoot (!). Grounding yourself brings you back to center. Bringing yourself back to center helps you refocus on what’s most important - not what feels most important on your to-do list.
Ultimately - it all starts with you. Once you feel more centered, aligned, happy and LESS hurried, and cluttered - you’ll start to see big changes. And we hope you can keep these things in mind as we spend the next month together and share with us along the way.
PS - Want a little more support with decluttering your mindset AND your space? Join our Spring Into Bloom 30-Day Declutter Challenge over on Facebook from March 1-31! Joining later than the 1st? No problem! We just want to be in this together. As always, you may find more information at our website www.authenticlivingco.com