When we declutter, we get rid of much more than physical possessions. Decluttering offers a passageway to create clarity of mind and space in our lives. As we decongest our surroundings of physical things, our minds are afforded a relaxation that can’t be bought. The other day, after yet another physical purge session, I felt a sense of lightness of body and spirit. I had that grounding thought that this was a good act. Not a spectacular or especially riveting one. But sometimes good is enough.
Getting rid of junk is therapeutic. Heck, it can be named decluttering therapy. For before the medical-lingo giants monopolized the term therapy, enshrouding it with licensure and regulation, therapy by definition meant a treatment intended to heal or relieve a disorder. Decluttering heals my disorders of anxiety, stress, and overwhelm, which often come from a cluttered, busy-looking space that then feeds into a scattered cloudy mind. Decluttering is one of the many friends in my sacred self-care toolkit.
In decluttering, I’m crafting space to breathe. Physically and mentally. I’m letting go of
- old painful or non-serving memories
- unhealthy attachments
- old roles
- past dreams that no longer belong in my life
- harsh memories of people and situations that leave a sour taste in my mouth
- self-expectations I can’t or choose not to meet
- a lifestyle/styling ethos/identity that I want to walk away from
- relics of happy times that I now feel have served their purpose and should be released
When I see decluttering in this more holistic and transcendental form, I understand that purging clutter can be an act of worship. We worship and honor our present lived experience when we only allow into it that which nourishes us on a practical and spiritual level. Those old piles of papers, years-old receipts, and that little too-tight gown are not nourishing.
I want to live a wholesome life, where the things around me affirm and support my dreams, lifestyle, and intentions. So away I’ll declutter and have a little soul medicine from time to time.