Clutter signals that not everything is going smoothly with the hostess. And not only at home, but also in the soul, in emotions and relationships with people. Breathe Freely, authors Melva Green and Lauren Rosenfield discuss where the unnecessary things that interfere with enjoying life come from and how to get rid of them.
In fact, the junk problem is bigger than we imagine. A mess in the house means that the same thing is happening inside a person: old and broken things clutter up the living space, the emotional burden pulls down, into sadness and depression, and then problems in interpersonal relationships drag along, which carry with them resentment, anger and feelings guilt. The last piece of the junk puzzle is work, responsibilities and social roles: if there is a mess there, then a person has nowhere to take the energy, motivation and strength in order to go towards a dream or just enjoy every day. Fortunately, the trash is not only necessary, but can be dealt with. This is quite within the power of everyone, especially women who have enough experience in such matters.
Everyone knows the feeling when you look at a mess and with your skin you feel how you don’t want to plunge into it. An instinctive reaction is to push the old stuff further into the closet, promise yourself something to come up with tomorrow (in a week, month, year) and run. Run without looking back. Run until you run out of strength. And while 99% of people get negativity from clutter, we wonder where it all comes from. How can a person who dislikes all rubbish so much can carry it into the house? The question is rhetorical.
Maybe it’s because humans are inherently prone to filling empty spaces. This is an urgent need. When the house has a minimum of furniture, kitchen utensils, all kinds of tools and other things, it seems to us empty. And we are in a hurry to bring home new things to make it seem cozy and fulfilled. But the fact is that, trying to create a comfortable space, we, on the contrary, clutter it up. Many are convinced that empty walls should be decorated with paintings. Fill the silence with empty talk. To fill in empty cells in the calendar with deeds. However, this rarely leads to a positive outcome.
Another theory is rooted in a sociocultural context. Our society and culture do not accept emptiness, since many phenomena that are not very pleasant to a modern person are associated with it: financial difficulties, depression, fear and anxiety, lack of mental resources (if I could not make money, it means that I did not have enough brains or, for example, perseverance, to graduate from the university), loneliness (where is there to be alone when there are often extroverts!). However, the mountains of trash block the sunlight and do not give a conscious look at themselves. People live for years among unnecessary things, deeds and relationships, and then they are surprised that this very life does not bring them anything good. But out of order, broken, unnecessary and unloved items only bring harm. In the end, the house becomes an unsuitable place for normal life.
And finally, the last option for the development of events: the complication of life through its simplification. We live in a consumerist society: this culture is implanted by advertising and manufacturers of all kinds of electronics. Today you can choose a technique for every taste, which will become an assistant in household chores and at work. But the point is, time-saving gadgets steal it from us. All these cutters, cleaners, steamers, holders and storage devices take precious minutes because we have to wade through them in search of what we need. These objects absorb not only physical space and time, but also energy. They interfere with enjoying your own home, coziness and comfort.
Say thank you to the mess
Regardless of how many problems rubbish brings into everyday life, it is worth looking at it from a positive point of view. The trash should be thanked, because it is thanks to it that you can understand what is really important to us. All broken, old and spiritually burdensome things will help you separate the wheat from the chaff, look at your life with different eyes and redefine your priorities. Having freed yourself from all unnecessary, you can understand what matters. Clutter will talk about how important love, peace, health and relationships, a sense of freedom and lightness are. He will tell you how to surround yourself with things that help you feel better.
If you like, getting rid of trash is a spiritual practice that aims to cleanse your life from chaos and hardships. Gradually, disorder becomes a beacon that illuminates only significant things and phenomena: throwing out thing after thing, walking step by step, you will come closer to the life you want to live. Old newspapers, outdated relationships, outdated clothing, bad thoughts and unloved work are indicators that you lack lightness, joy and freedom. By getting rid of them, you make room for the most important things in life.
The things that eat up space in your life and in your home not only feed on space in a physical sense, but also take away your time, energy, and your ability to enjoy life. But the truth is, you actually have a time and place exclusively for the things you truly love. By preferring them to trash, you achieve your emotional well-being. So why not give it a try?