For a number of years I have been living in a home that has been cluttered. I have been leaving the beds unmade, I have been going to bed and leaving washing up in the sink, at times the washing piles up and there are piles of clean washing waiting to be put away. Each morning I have been getting up, looking around me and feeling a touch of sadness. Until now I couldn't quite put the finger on why I was feeling this sadness, because my life is so good in so many ways.
Over the past week or so I have been putting some effort into decluttering, tidying up, changing things around a bit and cleaning. It feels good. In the mornings I have been getting up and looking at these new tidy areas and it is making me happy. Instead of getting up and feeling that bit of sadness I am noticing feelings of happiness.
Over the last couple of days I feel like something has changed. I have had one of those light bulb moments. I have finally worked out the relationship between my getting up in the morning and feeling 'yuck' and the clutter and unfinished jobs around me, compared to my getting up in the morning and feeling happy and some new clean, tidy, uncluttered areas. It now seems obvious, but it didn't before.
I have known for a long time that when I eat healthily I feel good. I have known that when I exercise I feel better. I have known that I feel better when the relationships I have in my life are healthy ones. For some reason though I did not link the state of the house to how I felt in the morning and through the day. Maybe it was there in the back of my mind somewhere, but I didn't want to hear it. Maybe I was rebelling against the people that told me that 'a tidy house means a tidy mind.' Maybe I was rebelling against my parents who always have a very neat and tidy home and yard. I don't know, but I am happy that I have now worked this out for myself. I am a bit like that, I don't like people to tell me how to do things. I need to work it out myself, in my own time.
So, what am I doing about it? I am changing things in 'baby steps'. Each day I am setting a timer and spending 10 minutes decluttering an area. I am then making an effort to ensure that area stays tidy. I am making the beds in the morning, or getting the person that slept in the bed to make it or to help me make it. I am making an effort each night to have all the washing up done. I haven't quite mastered this yet, but I'm working on it. Step by step I'm making my way through the house, room by room, shelf by shelf, baby steps. It didn't get this way overnight and I'm not going to get it how I want it overnight, but each 'baby step' is making me so happy.
I am ready for change. I am ready to live in a tidy, clean, uncluttered home. I deserve it. I am worth it. I am ready to do the work.
xxoo Julie
It is obvious and yet I live in clutter too. It gets me down too glancing around and seeing so much mess, but no matter how much I clean up, my wild little toddler just throws everything across the room. Shoes off the shoe rack, books and magazines off the coffee table, crayons and paper that were neatly on the craft table for my eldest, contents from bedrooms get carried along the hallway.... Which is why I've been decluttering of late. Fewer toys means less mess for a start. Except I can't blame my toddler for the washing-up. I leave it too till the morning and wonder my energy is drained before I've even started the day. But reading your post is very helpful, so I'll work on it. Thanks Julie.
ReplyDeleteThank you Vanessa and good luck. xxoo
DeleteGood for you Julie! I have been wanting to write a post about this, but haven't. I do not like clutter, I do not like to wake up to yesterdays dishes in the sink, I make the bed every morning. But I often read posts about if your home is tidy you aren't really living. If your home is tidy you must not be spending time with your kids. That the messes can wait til your kids are grown up. And I disagree. I feel better when my home is tidy, uncluttered and things are in their place. I am more centered, more balance and happier. I also love my home, we have worked hard for our home and keeping it up is important to me and my husband. I also know for a fact my little man is much happier when our home is in order, when things are put in their place...maybe this is a reflection from me because it makes me happy when these things are done, or maybe it is because when there is order and simplicity it is much easier to function, relax and breath....and we all feel that.
ReplyDeleteI think I just wrote that post :)
Good luck on your journey, I can see you already feel the benefits so keeping at it won't be an issue...just take your time and enjoy it.
Thanks Kim. I totally agree with what you've said.
DeleteI use to think that you couldn't have a tidy home AND be a good mum. Then I met you and Kim H and your have lovely tidy homes and you are fantastic mums. You both taught me that you can do both. I'm taking small steps to make positive changes in our home and I'm loving it. xxoo
Good for you, Julie. I know that, for me, a tidy home is a tidy-ish mind. Well, actually, I think it's more that if my home is messy then my mind is really, really messy. The best advice for anyone that i can give is - GET A DISHWASHER!!! They are a God-send. I've been without mine for almost a year now and I feel like I'm a slave to the kitchen sink. I can't believe how much extra work washing up is compared with a dishwasher. They use less water than washing up the amounth of times that I wash up and get the dishes heaps cleaner.
ReplyDeleteNot that I want to tell you what to do or anything;)
xxx
It's a constant uphill battle isn't it, the fight against clutter? It does feel good to get Spring cleaning done though. Mine is well overdue to tackle. But I know how much better I feel after I took a few spare hours to clean out everyones wardrobe. I feel good about putting clothes away now as it all seems so much more organized. Before I was leaving them for days in the basket. Small steps I think :)
ReplyDeleteYes Tania, I'm finding it is all about small steps. The wardrobes are on my to do list. I think it will definitely help me with getting the clothes away when they are more organized. xxoo
DeleteI totally agree with you, Julie. Some areas of my home are organised but there are many areas which could do with a good declutter and tidy up. One area which I am hopeless in keeping organised is the washing. I am very good at washing the clothes and hanging them out but folding, ironing and putting them away is another story. I have this week been concentrating on getting washed clothes put away and so far so good. There is nothing more frustrating than going through a mountain of clothes each morning looking for matching socks, school clothes etc. I definitely agree that I feel much better within myself when my home is organised and especially the clothes:).
ReplyDeleteDecluttering is so good for the soul. Living in mess drives me mad, I'm a bit of a clean freak but have had to drop my standards with kids around. I do like to live in a clean tidy house, I cope better when I can find things and not tripping over trucks, cars etc on floor. Good luck Julie!:)
ReplyDeleteLove this post, I too live in clutter most of the time, which really gets to me somedays. I've also been trying to de-clutter and get rid of what we really don't need and live more simply. It makes me feel good when I walk in and things are just clean.
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