Thank you for signing up to the Journey Into Yoga podcast newsletter - so happy to have you! My intention is to send out a weekly newsletter with helpful information on how to declutter your life. Unlike the podcast, this decluttering will not focus on our physical and emotional bodies, rather it will dive into how to declutter our surroundings. I should correct myself - even though the newsletter is directed towards creating space in our physical surroundings, a wonderful added bonus is that this kind of endeavour will, at the end of the day, also help to bring space and decluttering to our physical and emotional bodies.
FULL DISCLOSURE!
As we journey into decluttering, it is important for you to know that starting is not only the hardest part, but it can also can be scariest. The status quo can be easier than making changes in our lives, and this applies to the “stuff” in our world as well. We get used to having clutter and we also sometimes get attached to our things for many reasons! There could be sentimental attachments to our things , which can cause us to think things like “how can I get rid of my child’s grade 3 paper mache project!” We could be operating from a place of fear, “I can’t get rid of this shirt because maybe one day I will want it/fit into it”. (Trust me, you won’t!) These are just a few examples of why we may not want to get rid of our own personal clutter, and believe me, our stuff that no longer serves a purpose is by definition clutter. Okay, so here’s where you may start to panic - “Is she suggesting getting rid of all of my worldly possessions?” I promise you, I am not! But what I am 100 percent suggesting is that you find ways to get rid of things that no longer serve you. When we are able to do that, we create space in our lives to invite in the new - space we need to grow and also to be happy!
So back to the beginning…here’s your homework! I want you to pick one drawer in your home or office - could be any drawer you would like. Once you have chosen, I want you to completely empty that drawer onto the floor or counter. Take the time to give the drawer a nice wipe down with your favourite cleaning product. Now, we are going to re-stock that drawer with the items but with one objective - the number of items you put back in has to be less than the number you took out (this is code for, you have to get rid of some stuff!). This will take some deliberation, but ultimately, if you have no use for an item - or its broken - or its….to the garbage or recycling bin it goes! Don’t worry too much about how you put the remaining items back either - we will get to that down the line. Just cull and get a sense of removing that which no longer serves you.
Once you have completed this exercise I want you to take a moment to notice how this felt - maybe even open the drawer and look at the items you have kept. Have you possibly found a few things that you had misplaced ? You just may have gotten rid of some things that were taking up space in the drawer unnecessarily and that can feel good. There are many reasons why you may feel happy after this simple exercise - you have started the process of creating space! Your journey has begun! …
Remember, one step at a time… Until next time!