Clutter…The Bane of My Existence

How many times have you ever said…”If I could just get rid of this pile of (fill in the blank), I’ll feel better”? Or is that just my feeling about nearly every room in my house?

How many magazines do you collect to read “someday”? I have never found “someday” on the calendar…have you?

I’m embarrassed to tell you how many things I’ve printed out to read later, but later never seems to get here.

The question for me is…”what does all this clutter do you your health? Following might be some startling information, or maybe you already know but could use a reminder. Either way, read on.

Clutter is a form of hoarding

As with many mental health classifications, hoarding is a spectrum. Having piles of relatively harmless clutter in your home may not be life threatening as some hoarding habits are, but can be stress inducing.

Death cleaning

Pleasant topic, I know. Death cleaning is a Swedish concept that actually makes a lot of sense. The idea is that you clean and declutter in preparation for your death so that your loved ones aren’t burdened with the chore after you’re gone. It’s actually a thoughtful approach to how we live. If you keep things for no other reason than you just don’t want to part with them, you end up with a lot of stuff your family will have to dispose of after you’re gone. Before squirreling away your collectibles, consider whether your loved ones will want to keep them when you are no longer here.

Just in case

When we hold on to things for ‘just in case’ we’re operating in a scarcity mindset. If you refuse to release things you don’t use, you send the message that you don’t have enough and that you are not enough.

Junk is a poor substitute for whatever left the emptiness we try to fill with it. The false sense of security that we get from possessing “stuff” doesn’t last.

Just let go

When we let go of that which no longer serves us, we make space for more of that which does. It isn’t necessarily more ‘stuff’ that will fill that void but possibly new opportunities that were not available before.

What are the benefits of decluttering?

A more peaceful environment

If you’re anything like me, you feel anxious around a lot of clutter. It’s almost like noise to me. I feel much more at ease when my environment is clutter free.

Less dust

Clutter collects dust and dust mites. If you get rid of the clutter you eliminate some dust and possibly some sneezing.

Clarity

When you’re in a cluttered environment, your mind is cluttered also. Clean up your environment and you will likely be able to think more clearly.

Motivation

My experience has been that when I declutter an area, I want to continue doing so throughout my whole house. Once it’s done, I’m a little manic about maintaining it…at least for a while.

I love a neat clean house but getting started is always my biggest hurdle. Just writing about it tonight has made me feel like I want to tackle the job starting first thing in the morning. I’ll see how far I get between meetings tomorrow.

Start with one small area at a time so it doesn’t feel overwhelming. I’ll start with the desk in the kitchen. Wish me luck. And by the way…the picture at the top is not of my house. My mess isn’t that bad.

My Story

Since June 2019, I decided to hold myself accountable for walking my talk. Several years ago, I was able to take off 135 pounds and essentially save my own life. I regained some of that weight in the last couple of years and I’m working my way back down. I’ve lost over 40 pounds since I began in June and have exercised nearly every day since August.

If you choose to join me on this journey, I hope I am able to impart some nutritional and lifestyle wisdom. Even though I may have gone off the rails temporarily I can still share some of my first hand experience as well as my acquired knowledge and training to help you make the right changes to live your best life.

Do You Want Help?

Would you like to have more energy, lose weight, sleep better, and balance your hormones? I am launching another  5 week Sugar Detox Program beginning January 28th.

This program is open to anyone who:

• would like to get control of their sugar cravings
• feel better
• have an abundance of energy
• and an overall increase in well-being.

Aren’t you tired of feeling bloated and lethargic?

If you continue to follow the path you’re on, where will it lead you in six months? a year? Isn’t it time to take a different approach?

What you have done in the past hasn’t worked or at least has not stuck. I can help you change that. Click here for a free consultation. We’ll discuss your challenges and your goals for the coming year and see if we’re a good fit. You have nothing to lose except those nasty cravings.

As a health coach, I work with women who are facing serious health challenges like heart disease, metabolic syndrome and diabetes or who have been diagnosed as having a precursor to a serious health issue such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or high blood sugar. I help them make food and lifestyle changes so they can get healthy, live longer and enjoy a fuller, happier, more energetic life. If you would like to have a free consultation about the health challenges you have and the improvements you would like to see in your health, click here to schedule a no strings attached call.