Mess is Stress

You Must Throw It Away…

… if it serves no purpose

The Attachment To Objects

I was so surprised when I saw that my mother had kept the wardrobe we had when I was a little girl. Even my father was no more when I returned to Ghana, so I definitely wasn't expecting to see that old thing. The wardrobe was begging to retire.

“Why, Ma?” I asked. “Why did you keep this wardrobe after all these years?”

“Because it’s good quality wood.”

“Really, Ma?”

“Yea, you can never find good quality wood like that.”

“But it looks really old!”

“All it needs is a little polishing and it’ll be back to new,” Ma said.

After owing something for many, many years, it’s painful letting that thing go even when it clearly stopped serving its purpose.

Finding it difficult to give or throw away possessions is a complicated issue that sometimes has to do with fears about letting go of the past, worries about being wasteful, or just not knowing where to start when it comes to decluttering our life.

After owing something for many, many years, it's painful letting that thing go even when it clearly stopped serving its purpose.

Cluttered Space = Cluttered Mind

Researchers estimate that 2 to 6 percent of the population has hoarding disorder, keeping them from fully using their living space and interfering with their daily lives.

Look, we’re all human and we hold close to our hearts objects and items of valuable memories and feelings. But too much clutter can seriously mess with your life, and at that point, you aren’t just collecting memories; it’s turned to full-on hoarding.

This can be an over-packed wardrobe with its clothes screaming to see the light of day and pleading to be set free from the jail of the closet. Or a collection of old birthday cards from great-grandma and Aunt Becky that you just can’t bring yourself to discard after years of safekeeping.

And let's not forget the garage full of decade-old junk that serves no purpose and has the children thinking there’s a ghost in the garage at night, not knowing it’s just items falling off of the pile.

Stashing away everything we’ve ever bought, touched, or being gifted with can contribute to serious stress and anxiety. It is sometimes necessary to tackle physical clutter before tackling mental and emotional clutter and then letting go of the past.

Hoarding Is Fear

When I hoard things, it’s because I fear I’ll forget the memory. Losing memories is a terrifying thing.

For others, it’s the fear of not having enough or the fear that you’re not enough without all that stuff. But the things you are not using right now and haven't used in decades don’t serve you right now, but they can be of emergent use for someone who desperately needs what you don’t need.

If you gather the courage to donate it, gift it, or even sell it, your clutter will be in a much better place and so will you and your mind.

Holding on to objects doesn’t make you happy because you already have happiness inside of you.

Clutter Is Energy

Piled-up desks, closets full of old clothes, unopened mail, and unpaid bills all create blockages that keep us from living our best lives. Every object holds its own energy and having too many objects that don’t serve you creates chaos, dims your vibration, and traps you in the dense energy if the item holds it.

Clearing clutter releases energy blockages and raises vibration. By clearing clutter, you create sacred space with the positive energy to move freely, plenty of room to meditate and breathe in fresh, clean air. The energy of just a few cherished, beautiful things nurtures inner peace.

Decluttering opens your heart, opens your mind, and frees your spirit.

Open Space = Open Mind

In my experience, if I haven't used something in a year, I probably just don't need it. If I hold on to it just because it's mine, it just sits there collecting dust, dirt, and grime which makes me sick and causes problems for me down the road.

There’s a feeling of relief and release that follows when I declutter my space and donate or discard the things I don't need. A decluttered room feels peaceful and spacious and an open space is just beautiful and magical, not to mention functional.

An open space is an open mind. After you've gotten rid of the 15-year-old wardrobe-turned-burden and it is in a better place, your mind will also be in a better place. Just try it in one small, overstuffed corner. Remove everything from the area; clean it and only replace a few things that are essential and uplifting. Clear out anything that doesn’t bring you good vibes when you see it.

By decluttering the external, you declutter the internal.

The Real Trick to Decluttering

There are lots of excuses we use to weasel our way out of decluttering, like being too busy, being too tired, or thinking we’ll use the stuff at some point in the future. All those are very valid reasons, but clutter is best dealt with on a regular basis.

It’s tempting to keep every old shopping bag, used batteries, and hideous presents. Not everything needs to be kept, and some things must be dealt with right away to prevent clutter.

The real trick to decluttering is figuring out what things mean to you now instead of what they might mean to you in the future. If you need it now, keep it. If you really don't need it and don't see a use for it in the near future, then you must let it go somewhere it will serve a purpose.

Try selling unused items — that still function properly — online or in a yard sale instead of just dumping them in the trash. You’ll be surprised how much money you have sitting in your garage turning garbage.

If you’d rather not sell old items and you must stop your bedroom from overflowing and swallowing you up, you can donate a bunch of unwanted stuff every month or whenever you feel called to.

The real trick to decluttering is figuring out what things mean to you now instead of what they might mean to you in the future.

Get Rid of Things to Manifest Things

There’s a tangible relationship between decluttering and manifesting the life you desire. It's okay to buy brand new things, but the problem is allowing them to turn into a pile of junk. Every time you buy a new item, look for a junk item to get rid of.

As you rid your space of old baggage, they make up space for the things you’ll manifest later.

When you’re blocked by too much stuff, it blocks your energy system and your power to bring your ideas and vision to life.

When you are blocked with too much stuff, you can’t see a clear path to what you want. You may not even be able to clearly define what you want or see a clear path to go after it.

Remove Clutter to Accelerate Your Life

I’ve seen amazing results from regular decluttering; it’s the fastest way to accelerate and bring change to your life.

Decluttering is a powerful way to invite in the things you really need. If you want something, give something, right? Donate or give something in preparation for what you wish to manifest.

Decluttering takes a lot of mindfulness and self-awareness because we must be able to realize that we do not take any of our material things with us when we leave this place so why get so attached to the point that it's weighing you down and holding you back from a life of bright open space, beautiful and serene environments and a vibrant and uplifting atmosphere?