We have been looking at finding ways to take down stress levels so that you not only feel more relaxed, but you also can sleep better. If our lives are messy, then our inner minds will also be messy. We all carry our lives around with us in our heads, we can’t help it, it is how our mind works. So, if we can’t change this then we have to look to change how much of our lives that we are carrying around with us. In the blog ‘Order’, we were looking at all the technology we have in our lives and how at times, they can be overwhelming. This pressure can negatively impact our stress levels and how we live our lives. Now it’s time to look more closer to home in our houses, cars, office desks etc, if these are messy then it will 100% be stressing our inner minds out. Our minds are amazing, and they are always on a deeper level trying to make sure that we are safe and that nothing is going to cause us harm. If our lives are in order and we put everything in the place it is meant to be, then our mind will have already had that stored in its memory bank and can quickly do a sweep and confirm that all is ok. If the spaces we live in are messy, then it’s a minefield for your mind to then have to look through all that is there and make sure that nothing could be dangerous to you.
What also happens with our minds is that it is then reminded of all those things that haven’t found their way to where they should be or are a work in progress and need to be sorted out. This can be quite an onslaught for our minds to process each time we go into a room in your house, car or your desk at work. It’s not about having everything done, it’s about having an order for our minds to feel relaxed, so that even if it’s a work in progress, it has a place, and we can just press pause until we can get it sorted. If we have let things get overwhelming, just looking at making a change might be making you feel anxious. This is normal, so don’t let those anxieties bother you, it’s often the process of changing from the things we have been avoiding in our lives that is triggering this response. The best way to start changing and getting to grips with the mess is to start in just a small area first, if we think about doing too much then it might be an issue for our mind as it can trigger our minds to feel those feelings of anxiety. If we just say today, we will clear out one draw and then tomorrow we can take on another draw or cupboard, this will make it feel more manageable. Imagine doing a few things each week then by the end of the month we will have achieved lots.
If things are overwhelming in a room, then you might work to clear one cupboard or draw and then work out just what you want to keep in this space. Everything should have a place where you know where to find it and know in your mind where things are kept. This can be the same for things that are a work in progress and still need to be sorted out, we just need to create an area that can be called a holding zone for these things. We might have a few of them, it might be a letter rack where you pop the post that arrives and when you have time, you can sort them all out in one go. Having things like laundry bags are good as these can help to store all the washing, ironing, and handwash/laundry items in. When you have time, you can just grab these bags and get them sorted. If we leave everything in piles or just hanging on the floor, this will mean that area looks super messy and causes our minds to feel stressed and messy inside. We can have areas for all sorts of stuff, it might be an area that kids can store all their stuff, a shoe zone, a box for toys, or tools. We have different stuff and different homes so we need to think about what we need and make our clean up mission one that suits us and our homes.
Working in smaller areas will help you get going and help with finding that momentum to continue, as we finish a section we can stand back and look at our achievements. This can then give us more of a push to move on to the next area we need to tackle. Some people are more all or nothing, and another way to help you change is to clear a whole section out in the house or even a room. You can move everything into another room and then look through all the items. Firstly, you can replace all the essential things back into the room or space, then go through all the completely unneeded stuff and get that bagged up ready to go. With the unneeded stuff, you can hopefully donate these to the charity shop or if it is unusable, put these in the bin. Then, what will be left after you have done this, will be the things that you have questions about whether to keep or let go. A good thing to consider is have you worn it or used it in the last 12 months? If you haven’t, then the case may be that if you haven’t used it in that amount of time, then maybe you won’t ever use it. If you aren’t fully sure whether to let it go, you can always box them up and put them in the garage or shed and relook at them in another few months. Don’t overfill the space you are clearing out or put stuff in there that you won’t use, try to be strong in this process of letting go. Once you have done one space or room, it will give you the motivation to move onto another area in your home.
Set time aside, set goals, and change from mess to order. When you walk into these spaces in your home you might even find that you are breathing a sigh of relief, as that new order brings peace and calm to your minds, then in turn to your bodies. Have a great day. Sara x
HYPNOSARA 