Declutter your Space, Free Your Mind

Your space is an external representation of your mental state - make sure it's not a mess!

The space that you dwell in is the physical embodiment of your mind and your life. In it is a collection of items that you have accepted in your life. It is the storage of all the Karma that you racked up. Each piece of paper, clothing, and furniture was a decision that you made, and now it's taking up space in your room. How are you dealing with it? Are you processing everything, appreciating what you have, and using everything to its fullest, or are you accumulating more stuff than you can handle, and now your room is a landfill?

Sometimes we have a habit of hoarding things - accumulating more than we can handle, so that we can use it later. An analogy to this is when we eat too much food, because it's available, because we can't seem to satisfy our hunger, or because we just want to. When we take in too much stuff that we can't handle, what usually happens to it? That's right, it gets stored for later. And if we don't deal with it right away, it all kind of builds up, loses its purpose and it becomes harder to process. Now I don't know if I want to clean my room or do some crunches!!

Everything has an energy within it, even inanimate objects. These objects were made for the purpose of our utility, convenience or enjoyment. The more we utilize the things we have, the more we energize them and keep them alive. When we stop paying attention to anything, it starts to collect dust, and it doesn't get to serve its purpose. Anything, whether its people or things, light up more when they are being useful in the world.

“Caring for your possessions is the best way to motivate them to support you, their owner. When you treat your belongings well, they will always respond in kind . . . I take time to ask myself occasionally whether the storage space I’ve set aside for them will make them happy. Storage, after all, is the sacred act of choosing a home for my belongings.” - Marie Kondo

This is why the Minimalist movement has been so popular in recent years. People are discovering that keeping things to a minimum helps a) save a ton of money; b) keep the space manageable; c) create a sense of clarity for inhabitants. When you keep things to a minimum, you know exactly where something is, and thus your life becomes way more efficient. When your space is stacked with stuff that's not being used, it takes FOREVER to find anything. Sometimes you even forget that you had something because you just never see it, and then you go out and buy it...AGAIN!

Been there. Done that. Too many times!

As much as I believe in de-cluttering, I also believe that it is your responsibility as to where these items end up, because you accepted it into your sphere of awareness. Once you accept something in your life, you have the responsibility of utilizing it. Many people are going through this phase of clearing their space, but a lot of what they're getting rid of is ending up in the actual landfill. Every time we put something in the garbage, we are taking up landfill real-estate, and that landfill real-estate is tied to our KARMA. Do you think we can just keep accumulating things, then throwing them out thinking it's all just going to magically disappear without consequence? No. It doesn't work like that.

Major Clean Up Time!

When I lived on my own in my studio, I figured out a way of organizing that worked for me. Each room had a purpose, and each item in that room was related to that purpose. I went through each drawer, closet and cupboard, pulled everything out, and dusted it all off. I kept things to a minimum, only keeping things that I would need on a regular basis. Everything had a place, and when you opened a drawer or cupboard, all items would be clearly visible.

Once I started to organize my space like this, it became much more enjoyable to do anything. I noticed that when I did that process of pulling everything out and dusting it off, there was something really therapeutic about it. Every time I pulled something out, I remembered its existence, then after I find a place for it, that place becomes its home. As you keep doing this, with conscious attention of course, it changes the whole energy of the room. It feels more inviting, more warm, probably more beautiful because you're infusing energy into all the material around you.

I've moved back to my parents house with a rude awakening - I had way more stuff from the past that I forgot about and haven't dealt with yet. Cleaning out your room is like dealing with your life, and since moving back to my parents place, I didn't want to deal with my life that far back... but in not dealing with it, I actually reverted back to old ways. And it's not just my old stuff I'm dealing with - our parents have a way of hoarding everything as well. It's very common for the older generation to have the compulsion to hoard, especially if they grew up in poverty; they have hard time letting go of things because of how incredibly hard it was to obtain things as they were growing up.

I realize that it's part of my mission to detox this home and make it as efficient as possible, just like my body. I have been putting it off for the longest time, and the longer I wait, the harder it's becoming to start. When I lived in my own studio, I had a system as I mentioned earlier of how to declutter and reorganize my space. When the KonMari method came out years ago, I realized that it was very much in line with how I organized my studio. So to help get the ball rolling, I have asked ChatGPT to outline the general steps that Marie Kondo suggests in getting started with tidying your space.

Marie Kondo, the author of "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up," developed the KonMari Method for decluttering and organizing homes. Here are the general steps one should take according to her method:

1. Commit Yourself to Tidying Up

• Make a clear decision to embark on this journey and envision your ideal lifestyle. This commitment will help keep you motivated throughout the process.

2. Imagine Your Ideal Lifestyle

• Visualize what your life would look like with a clutter-free home. Think about how you want to live and why you want to tidy up.

3. Finish Discarding First

• Before organizing, go through all your items and decide what to keep and what to discard. This ensures you only have items that bring you joy.

4. Tidy by Category, Not by Location

• Instead of tackling one room at a time, focus on one category of items at a time. The categories are:

• Clothes

• Books

• Papers

• Komono (miscellaneous items)

• Sentimental items

5. Follow the Right Order

• Clothes: Start with clothes, as they are often the easiest items to make decisions about.

• Books: Move on to books, selecting only those that spark joy.

• Papers: Discard papers that are no longer needed and organize the remaining ones.

• Komono (Miscellaneous Items): This includes items like kitchen goods, bathroom items, and tools. Break this category down further if needed.

• Sentimental Items: Save these for last, as they can be the most challenging to sort through.

6. Ask Yourself If It Sparks Joy

• Hold each item in your hands and ask yourself if it sparks joy. If it does, keep it. If not, thank the item for its service and let it go.

7. Discard First, Then Organize

• Once you’ve decided what to keep, discard the items that don’t bring you joy before you start organizing the remaining items.

8. Designate a Place for Everything

• Find a specific place for each item you decide to keep. This makes it easier to maintain order and ensures everything has its own spot.

9. Store Items Vertically

• Store items, especially clothes, vertically rather than stacking them. This allows you to see everything at a glance and prevents items from getting lost at the bottom of piles.

10. Respect Your Belongings

• Treat your belongings with respect. Take care of them and store them in a way that shows appreciation for their role in your life.

Additional Tips

• Sentimental Value: Sentimental items should be handled last to avoid getting bogged down by emotions early in the process.

• Daily Tidying: Make tidying a regular habit to prevent clutter from accumulating again.

• Mindful Shopping: Be mindful of what you bring into your home to maintain the decluttered state.

By following these steps, you can create a more organized and joyful living space. The KonMari Method focuses on keeping only the items that truly bring you joy and letting go of the rest, leading to a more mindful and clutter-free lifestyle.

Okay, well, with that, I will take the weekend to finally detox this entire home, because I know I cannot move forward without doing so. I really believe that I have stalled because of my delay in doing this one daunting task.

Watch out for how my process is going!

May this post help inspire you to go through your home, dust everything off, and bring the magic back to all that you touch!