I seem to have been possessed. The usually chaotic, messy, ‘lazy’ housekeeper that I have always been seems to have taken a holiday, replaced by a welsh version of Marie Kondo. After a spontaneous decluttering of my book case before Christmas, I now seem hell bent on ridding my whole house of unnecessary stuff and rubbish. It’s come as quite a surprise to me to say the least. I am certainly a lot less untidy than I used to be. But to have spent almost 2 whole days sorting, discarding and cleaning is very unusual behaviour. There may be some connection to the slightly higher dosage ADHD medication I have been taking for the last 3 days. It may be inspired by a desire to move house this year. It may be a ‘new year, new start’ thing.
I’m not sure, but whatever it is, I am thoroughly enjoying it.
I now have a Trello board with all the places I want to work on in one list, and another one with photos of the places I have decluttered. There is so much stuff waiting to go to the charity shop, I can barely move in my passage! I might need a rubbish truck to come just for me when the bin men come round next week!
This work is making my house much more pleasant to be in, but it is also doing the same for my mind.
The external environment we find ourselves in does have an impact on our mental wellbeing. A cluttered, messy home feels overwhelming, and can lead to a cluttered, messy mind. I have ADHD, so a messy space has always been my normal. When I trained to teach Yoga, I started to want to live in a tidier space. As I started to be more aware of my emotional state, I realised this connection between mess in my home and mess in my head.
At the moment, decluttering my home is having a similar effect on my wellbeing as freewriting, yoga, deep breathing or long walks does. It is giving me a way to curb some personal anxieties I have bubbling away in me. I know that these worries are not real, and by focusing on doing something positive, I can ignore the rantings of my Anxious Aggie. It is giving me space to be, to think, to be fully present to my surroundings.
I feel as though I am shedding mental rubbish as well as physical rubbish.
Sorting and ordering my thoughts as I sort and order my bedding. It is giving me a sense of satisfaction at a job well done, particularly now that I have started taking before and after photographs.
This took a fraction of the time I expected it to, and felt SO good! No more squeezing things in and hoping they wouldn’t fall out!
As I understand it, it is increasing my dopamine levels, something I seem to have a very small amount of naturally, and need help with!
Normally, this sort of activity is totally beyond me for such a sustained amount of time. I cleared the cupboard under my sink before writing this post. I wonder if I can do my bedsite cupboard before my 9 year old hauls himself out of bed! It’s becoming addictive, a clear sign of the increased dopamine production perhaps! It’s better than drinking red wine to replace the dopamine, that’s for sure!
I am going back to my cleaning now, and am looking forward to loading the car up later to go to the charity shop.
This is a great way to start the New Year. How are you welcoming in 2020? Have you been gripped by the declutter bug?
Recent Comments