I was ill for a week recently. As I lay on the sofa under a blanket, unable to move much and too unwell to read, I had nothing to do but survey my surroundings. I wasn’t too happy at what I saw. Whilst I had been busy rushing hither and thither, living my daily life, clutter had crept unnoticed into the room.
Our Auto Pilot Existence
When we lead very busy lives, often we don’t notice our surroundings much. We rush around on auto pilot, grabbing what we need and dashing out of the door. We do the daily chores such as washing clothes and dishes because we couldn’t function otherwise. But we rarely have time to do more than a quick tidy.
As a result of our inattention, clutter often creeps into our homes and once it takes hold it starts to slow us down. You spend longer getting ready to go out because you can’t find what you need, you can’t move around so quickly because your passage is blocked by clutter, you feel oppressed because there is clutter around and your subconscious mind feels weighed down by it.
Take Time Out To See
Take time out to really look at your surroundings. You don’t have to be ill for a week like me; there are less drastic ways! Force yourself to sit in your living room, kitchen or bedroom for ten minutes every week. Don’t read, watch TV, or fiddle with your phone or iPod. Simply sit and look around the room. Is it cluttered or untidy? Are there items which shouldn’t be there? How does it make you feel?
In this quiet period of assessment, you will probably notice things that you were blind to before. You may notice that the floor is starting to fill up with boxes or objects that belong in other rooms, you may notice that all the surfaces look crowded, you may realise that there is little room to move around the room, and you may notice dust (or even cobwebs!) that were invisible to you before.
Now Take Time To Act
Once you realise that clutter is starting to creep into your life then it’s important to tackle your clutter before it gets worse. Tackle one room at a time, and pick one area to start with, such as the floor, the drawers, the cupboard, or the surfaces. Each area you de-clutter will look better and will spur you on to do the area next to it, until the room looks exactly the way you want it to.
Take time out frequently to assess your environment. Don’t wait until you’re ill but give yourself the gift of time every week, to sit still and do nothing except assess your surroundings.
You will be amazed at what you see and it will motivate you to keep your home clutter-free and serene.
