Most of us have stress pushing it’s ugly head into our lives from many angles; work, family, and finances (just to name a few). Our homes should be a calming shelter from these peace invaders. This is actually one of the reasons that I got into interior design. I recognized the power that our homes have on our physique and wanted to be able to share that understanding with others. Although their are many factors that go into creating your refuge, I believe that de-cluttering your home should be step #1, it’s also something you can do on your own for free.
Just sitting in a cluttered room can create stress. Whether you conceptualize this in Feng Shui terms as ‘stagnant chi’, in cerebral terms as too much information for the eye to process, or in practical terms as a visual reminder of how much work you have to do to get your house clean, again, you probably already know that more mess means more stress. Living in a cluttered home can create constant low-grade stress and subtly but steadily drain your energy, and if you’re anything like me you have non to spare.
Okay. Here goes, I’m going to say it…Get rid of it! Do you really need to keep that hideous figurine from your Aunt Trudy? No, you are not obligated to keep a piece because someone gave it to you. Heck, you’re not even obligated to keep something you bought for yourself, even if you did over pay for it. If it doesn’t have a tremendous amount of sentimental value, doesn’t help with organization and doesn’t look good in your home… Get rid of it! Chances are you won’t won’t regret it, you probably won’t even remember it in a few weeks. Trust me it will feel great and will actually lower your stress.
I’m not saying by any means that I live in a clutter free environment, actaully far from it. However, I do try to “purge” a few times a year. I can’t imagine how crazy my home would get if I didn’t. Sometimes, (just to keep myself on track) I will even call Amvets to have a pick-up scheduled before I have anything set aside for donation. This is how I force myself to de-clutter my home.
Now that I’ve reminded myself of my “purging” duties I’m off to take my own advise. Time to tackle the garage, uggghh. I’m sure there will some sort of rant about this on an up-coming post.
Happy purging…
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