Clutter isn’t just the stuff on your floor…
...it’s anything that stands in the way of the life you want to be living.
Many of us have so much clutter in our lives...in our homes, in our cupboards, in our calendars but also so much clutter in our minds. We’re multi-tasking at home and work in a high speed, social media intense world which means our minds and bodies are often overloaded. There are times when we can’t think or see straight, lurching from one commitment to the next.
When working with busy people looking to avoid burnout, I have many conversations about clutter circles (Jayne Morris, Balanceology) to help people sort out what are the internal and external causes of pressure for them. When I’m feeling like the pressure is starting to pile up myself, I ask myself these same questions. Maybe they would be useful for you? I’m inviting you to grab a journal or the back of an envelope or notes on your phone and jot down a few thoughts...
Physical clutter: do you hold onto physical things you no longer need, use, love or care about? Are there any spaces in your home or work that you dread going into because of the clutter? We downsized a couple of years ago so I had a major declutter but I can tell when my life is getting hectic because my office clutter increases big time.
Body clutter: are you feeling burdened by illnesses or injuries? Are you neglecting your intuition to rest, eat well or exercise? Or do you exercise when you should be resting? Is there anything you consume that leaves you feeling a bit yucky? At the moment, I feel cluttered with sugar. This needs to change because it impacts my energy quite significantly - but I do love chocolate!
Time clutter: are you constantly running from one appointment to the next or from one social activity to the next? I know someone who plans her social diary like a military operation often fitting in seeing several friends in a day. She even plans in travel time between and although she is glad to have caught up with people important to her, she is often exhausted herself by the end of the day. Time clutter is all the things you end up being committed to or being involved in that you don’t really enjoy but get drawn into them out of habit. Perhaps you overextend yourself with activities because you think you should, ought or must
Relationship clutter: have you heard the saying, that people come into your lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime? It might sound brutal but do any of your relationships feel as if they have passed their expiry date? It’s perfectly normal to pass in and out of each other’s lives at different stages without an obligation to stay in touch forever but sometimes we feel obliged to continue the contact with no real reason to do so. Or perhaps you leave certain catch ups feeling drained rather than energised or supported? Are you always the fixer? Always the one who makes all the arrangements? What impact is this having on you?
Thought clutter: what thoughts take up space in your mind? Are you a ruminator or perhaps you have a tendency to catastrophise? Are you an overthinker and find yourself running round in circles in your mind trying to work out the motivations of others, filling in the gaps with assumptions and stories of your own? Do you have a tendency to say yes to everything which contributes to more time clutter? What does your self talk sound like? Are you critical to yourself or kind?
Energy or spirit clutter: do you feel generally disconnected and tired. Are you spending time on activities that drain you rather than those that bring you joy? Perhaps you feel unable to switch off from work or from home obligations or both.
All of these types of clutter can wear us down, block our thinking and contribute to us feeling overwhelmed at home and work. When I work with people who are approaching burnout, it is clear to see all the contributing factors when we work through this exercise. For some it might be time and thought that are the main blockers. For others, it may be going right back to foundations and taking care of themselves first before anything else can change. We’re all different and we all have different challenges at different stages of our lives.
But we can clear the clutter from the inside out and the outside in.
Being aware of what is blocking us is the first step and then it’s about loosening some of those connections to commitments that no longer serve us or what we are trying to achieve.
I know that’s easier said than done which is why I do what I do in supporting people to work through this and make real changes.
You may be reading this feeling so overwhelmed in your life that you don’t know where to begin in order to move forward. If that sounds like you then please do get in touch to find out more about coaching.
But, if coaching isn’t for you, you can start to clear your clutter by making a commitment to yourself to simply:
Work through the questions above to see where your main clutter blocks are
Make a commitment to simply get started with something physical. Clear a small manageable space, like a drawer or a shelf. This simple act of cleaning just one shelf of one cupboard in your hone can serve as a powerful metaphor for sorting out other areas of your life.
One tiny tweak can act as a catalyst for much bigger change.
And now is such a great time to start…