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.
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?
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.
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!