WHAT DO YOU NEED TO LET GO OF? How your surroundings can affect your energy and productivity
Easter Weekend is a traditionally a time of home improvement here in the
UK as Spring naturally sees the time for renewal and ‘nesting’. With the
forecast of rain, it looks like the 2009 holiday will be no exception!
I have always been very interested in the link between our surroundings
(home, work e.t.c.) and our feelings about ourselves and motivation for
life. Indeed, I was having this very discussion with my local MP over
Afternoon Tea at the House Of Commons last week: specifically how
improving the local area and making it more beautiful will lower crime
and improve self-worth.
By taking the time to be ‘consciously aware’ of how you feel in your
home and at your place of work, it will help you decide whether those
places are helping or hindering you. If you are feeling a bit ‘stuck’ in
your life, de-cluttering could be a positive, cathartic experience to
get your creativity, ideas and energy flowing again.
Here is a quick exercise to get you started:
Go round each room in your home and your desk / office at work and ask
yourself how you feel in each area? Observe what message your body gives
you in each area? Do you feel uplifted, energised or calm? Is this
relevant for this area’s purpose? Or do you feel negative, tense and
have a sinking feeling?
What can you do to improve the area?
For example, if you are finding that you are stressed and can never find
anything that you need in your working area, what can you do that will
make it a more productive place to be? Also, remember that if you are
employed and your desk resembles chaos, what message does this give your
boss about your abilities? Many a promotion has been passed over
because of this simple observation.
Another example, is that things that need mending and throwing out in
your home are a constant drain on your energy. Your unconscious mind
notices them every time you step through the door. If you are putting up
with clutter, are you putting up with lower standards in other areas in
your life too?
Are you regularly using areas of your home for activities that they were
not designed for? Your love-life aside (!)… are kitchen work-tops the
best place for piles of paperwork and other stuff dumped on them?
Some of this may sound quite far out and controversial, however, may I
suggest you keep an open-mind and see if you can make some changes – and
notice what happens?
I de-clutter regularly and am renowned for being very tidy and
organised. However, over the last month I have intuitively searched
around my home and office for things to chuck out. I have found some
real ‘emotional’ items in my cupboards to finally remove: e.g. my
beloved broken Miu Miu boots (8 years old!), an old laptop given to me
by a previous boyfriend and clothes from my clubbing days. Amazing as it
sounds, I now feel a lot calmer in my home and have experienced a surge
in my energy and productivity!
I run a popular interactive workshop titled ‘Use it or Lose it’ and
clients report all sorts of results from de-cluttering from losing
weight to enjoying a more harmonious household.
This is a much deeper and broader subject than there is room for here,
so if you are interested in exploring this further please let me know.
When you let go of items that you no longer love or use, you stop
holding onto the past and make room for the new!