New years can be a bag of mixed feelings can’t they? On the one hand there is the anticipation of a fresh start, the opportunity to do things differently, whilst on the other hand there’s the trepidation that resolutions will fail and new habits won’t stick.
Whilst it’s been a far few years since I’ve made any resolutions, I do find that there’s a bit of a spring in my step (although If I’m honest as an eternal optomist I probably have a few points in the year that feel like a natural restart – the new financial year in April, and the traditional start of the school term in September definitely feel like do-overs!). I do like the opportunity to ease myself out of any crappy mindsets or habits that I’ve picked up along the way! How about you?
As a family 2021 had been a hectic year where our energies had been split and redirected instead of being focussed down on the goals we wanted to achieve. We’d bought everything we needed to redecorate the dining room of our house much earlier in the summer, but time and headspace had eluded us ever since.
5 days before Christmas the grand pre Christmas tidy began. Imagine the scene if you will:
Family stands in the back room surveying the carnage of family life. Eyes wander to the cans of paint gathering dust.
Husband: Do you think we could get this room decorated before Christmas day?
Me: Yeah I guess (gulping)
Child: YESSSSSS!
Consider the blue touchpaper lit! The next four days involved clearing, cleaning, coving, picture railing, sanding, painting, undercoating, painting some more, undercoating more, painting even more…
4 days later and the room was done (ish, good enough at least).
So I guess we started New Yearing early?!? At least, all the clutter that had resided in the back room was dumped in the small bedroom I use as an office so I did have that to deal with just so I could find my desk again!
Decluttering is incredibly cathartic. It’s like physically and mentally making space for the new fresh good stuff to pour in. Just like it’s pretty hard to cram to shove more things into a full cupboard, it’s pretty hard to change the way you think and feel about life when you’re dealing with old beliefs and expectations.
In the same way as I use body work and freeing up tight gunky muscles as a way to encourage a feeling of looseness and calm in your mind, physically decluttering a room can be a great start to feeling lighter and calmer about life.
If you feel overwhelmed by the idea of decluttering your home, or are experiencing resistance from other house members around decluttering, start small: recycle old magazines or cardboard packaging, or throw away old receipts from the bottom of shopping bags. I heard a great story today about a couple who play a game of rehoming things they no longer want in the homes of family or friends that they think would appreciate them. So when they drop around to see a sibling, they’ll sneak a mug into a cupboard or a book onto a bookshelf. Cheeky huh!?!
Now I’m not suggesting you do that (although it could be fun.) But if the whim takes you… You can take a day to work through a room or two, or a couple of hours to tidy a wardrobe. If you plan out when you can visit the tip or a charity shop beforehand, that takes the pressure off because you know you won’t have bags of stuff piling up, which can feel even worse than the original clutter.
Instead of feeling bad about how much there is to do, congratulate yourself on what you have achieved, and yes, you can allow yourself a certain level of pleasure in rehoming the junk your family insists on as treasure (just make sure it’s not going to psychologically scar anyone in doing so!).
If you feel overwhelmed at the prospect but at the same time strangely energised by the thought, maybe you could do it with some help? I can help you find the easy way to take on those tasks, reframing all the scary thoughts that come along and help you identify the steps that would make 2022 feel glorious and fun. From a personal perspective I understand how muddling it can feel when you live in a cluttered space, and the massive improvements it can make to your confidence and wellbeing when you take charge of those tricky jobs you just want to ignore. Give me a shout and we can have a chat about how best to get things started.
Big love,
Carrie x