THE POWER OF LETTING GO – CLEARING CLUTTER IN YOUR LIFE
THE POWER OF LETTING GO – CLEARING PHYSICAL CLUTTER IN YOUR LIFE
By Jayne Morris
Letting go of things that no longer serve us is one of the healthiest things we can do for our mind, body and soul. Clearing out clutter helps our creativity, energy, health and clarity. I remember my youngest brother telling me “Jayne, when I throw away things I no longer need, it’s like clearing space in my head, I can think better”.
‘Spring Cleaning’ features in several cultures and is an ancient tradition, which is tied not only into religious calendars, but also seasonal cycles.
It is often easy to feel overwhelmed about where to start, so I suggest first settling yourself down and turning your attention inwards.
Take a few deep breaths and set the intention to make a list of what you don’t want in your life anymore, so that you can let them go. Literally write down all the things that come to mind that feel negatively charged, i.e. the things that make you feel blaaaahhhhh when you talk about them. They might be a certain area of your home that makes you feel low when you look at it or spend time in it; or they could be items you have that are creating clutter in your life that you no longer need.
Recognising your ‘don’t wants’ gives you the choice to change them. Recognising your ‘don’t wants’ gives you the power to let go and clear space for what you do want!
Notice the themes that develop when you make your list. You might find that you are able to group them together into different areas, for example ‘home’, ‘relationships’, ‘work’.You may have more areas you’d like to add. Trust your intuition and go with what feels right for your list. Once you have made your list, reflect for a moment on the impact that each of the things you don’t want has on yourself and on others.
Great, let’s get on to how you let it go! The good news is that as you let go of all the physical things on your list causing clutter that you no longer want, you’ll automatically be challenging thoughts and excuses associated with them and therefore clearing some of your mental clutter too!
First, set aside time to clear your clutter. Commit to it. Schedule time with yourself now in your diary to clear out each area from your list. Set aside time to clear the physical clutter.
Before you start getting stuck in to clearing out physical clutter pay attention to the thoughts and excuses that may enter your mind before, during or after your clear out. If you are a bit of a hoarder, be gentle on yourself … some of your physical clutter may be linked to deep beliefs about yourself and your ‘stuff’.
As you do your clearing notice how you feel in your body as you hold any items that you are deliberating over whether or not to get rid of. If the item makes you feel low energy and has negative memories attached to it, trust your intuition and throw it away!
Here are seven of the most common guilt trip excuses your ego may come up with, to try and talk you out of clearing your clutter:
- 1. “If I throw this out it means I don’t care”
Heirlooms, knick-knacks, unwanted gifts … these things take up space and drain our energy. They turn us into victims because they rob us of our power to choose what we actually do want in our environment. Donate them to a charity shop and free yourself to have the choice to your space clutter free, or to replace them with something wonderful you would love to have there instead.
- 2. “I spent so much on it!”/“I haven’t worn it yet”
Keeping something you made a bad choice on, so that you can beat yourself up every time you look at it will drain you. We all buy things we later regret. Acknowledge it as one of those ‘bad buys’ and let it go. You’ll feel so much better when it’s no longer there making your feel guilty.
- 3. “I might need it someday”
How many random bits and bobs are you clinging on to simply because they might one day serve a purpose? Ask yourself how long it’s been since you last used it. If it was over 12 months ago – send it out to find a new home elsewhere! You don’t need it, never have, never will!
- 4. “One day I might find the time to fix this/make this/use this”
Notice how it feels in your body when you hold an item that represents something yet to be completed. It has stale energy. Don’t fill your space with what you should do. Imagine the infinite relief you will experience when you give yourself permission to let it go. Then, make space for a new project you really want to do.
- 5. “I should keep this, it makes me look xyz”
The piece of art hung on the wall to make you look ‘cultured’, the books on the shelf to make you look ‘well read’ and the CDs to show what diverse taste you have … who are they there for really? If something is in your house for the sake of ‘keeping up appearances’ let go of the fear, and notice how much better it feels to leave behind only that which is authentic.
- 6. “I don’t know where to put it”
Create a home for the random floating objects you have in your home, a folder for paperwork needing to be filed, a box for cute cards from friends, a pot for pens, a tub for elastic bands or loose change … Once you define a space for items you’ll notice the odds and ends that don’t fit anywhere and know it’s because they need to be chucked out.
- 7. “I might fit back into it”
Ouch! What a horrid ‘beat me up’. If you’re still clinging to jeans you haven’t worn since you were 20, the chances are you are at least a dress size bigger than you were then. Learn to love your more womanly figure and get rid of the clothes that make you feel sad about how slim you once were, so that you can buy clothes that fit you well instead of giving you muffin top, and celebrate the shape your body is today.
Once you’ve bagged and boxed everything you are ready to get rid of, make sure you take it out for recycling as soon as possible! You want it out of your life completely so that you can begin to reclaim your space without any residual negative energy clinging on!
About the Author
Jayne Morris, The POWER Coach, is Founder and Director of Power-Up™, the unique coaching system combining life coaching, meditation, visualization, martial arts, angelic healing and integrative art therapy. www.jaynemorris.com