Is it Possible to Reduce Clutter to Increase Calm?
Aaaarrrrgggghhhhhhh! I’m stressed, I’m overwhelmed! I can’t seem to relax! I want to be organized. Do any of those things sound familiar to you?
“In the never-ending battle between order and chaos, clutter sides with chaos every time. Anything that you possess that does not add to your life or your happiness eventually becomes a burden.“
~John Robbins
Our Environments Play A Role In Stress
Years ago, I went through a huge purge of things in my home. My friend and I were reading Denise Linn’s “Sacred Space: Clearing and Enhancing the Energy of Your Home” where she focused on how the things that surround us can affect our state of mind and well being. At the time, I didn’t think I had much clutter. But, yeah, I was wrong, lol. As we started decluttering our homes, I realized, I was just really organized. I still had a lot of clutter. I discovered I kept things out of obligation, yet they did not bring me joy. I kept things because I thought I would eventually get to a particular project, but deep down, I knew I never would. I kept things because I thought my kids would want them when they grew older. I kept things because I didn’t think I was good enough to use them yet (read more about that in my blog post about wearing the good jewelry here).
Every day my friend and I would each commit to tackle just one room in our respective homes (to avoid overwhelm). I donated office clothes to women’s shelters. I donated books to adult reading places. I donated toys to shelters. We got creative on how we were donating our things which made the process much more enjoyable. And of course, sadly, some things went to the landfill.
Fast forward to a Lighter Space
After several weeks of diligent work, we were done. Our homes only contained things that were functional or that fed our spirits. Everything that was left in my home brought me pleasure in some fashion.
Fun story… A friend came over one day and walked in and said, “I don’t know what you have done here because everything looks the same, but your home feels lighter to me!” It did! It wasn’t weighed down with obligations and stuff that carried those obligations. It really was lighter!
Keeping It That Way
Ever since that time, I’ve committed to only bringing things into my home that make me happy or calm (or they’re a functional necessity). I also created a policy that for every thing I bring in, I must also release something out into the world. I literally can go from room to room and smile as something that I love will catch my eye and bring me a level of pleasure I didn’t realize I could find. I also have a sense of calm because I’m not always thinking I need to get to that thing that I said I would do a zillion years ago knowing full well I won’t get to it.
Trinket Dishes
Part of my commitment to myself is to continue to hold space for artfully created pieces. I love the idea of functional art. I also am so in love with tiny things that hold other tiny things. It’s why I am compelled to create trinket dishes. I have several and they are placed throughout my home. Some are only for aesthetics and some are functionally aesthetic. But, what I know for sure is that they add to the uplifted, light energy that my home still carries.
I’ve recently created a few highly symbolic, energy infused enamel trinket dishes to my site. Every one is hand shaped and painted with enamels. The vibrant, permanent colors are layered and fired in my kiln meaning they won’t fade over time. You can find what is currently available here. Which one wants to come live in your sacred space with you? Click on the image to shop.
