Yes, you and I, we are not superwoman or superman – we can’t change the world.
Being ‘normal’ humans, we don’t have the power to take control of the facts in our lives: We can’t directly change or influence our outside circumstances (other people and their behaviour, our past, external events, etc.).
If a strange virus comes up and creates chaos in most parts of the world, we have to accept the disruptive and unwanted changes it also creates in many areas of our personal life.
In times when our daily life seems to get crazy, uncontrollable and unplannable, it’s not easy to keep a calm mind and control of our thoughts and feelings. It’s definitely much easier to feel completely out of control, powerless and overwhelmed.
However, we are not powerless.
Our mind is the most important power-source we have in our life.
We can always decide to direct and control our mind. We can choose what we think and – based on our thoughts – how we feel and act.
And there is at least one other area in our life that’s totally under our control – that’s our home.
We can completely control what’s happening in our home and in our mind.
- We are in control of our home.
We decide what we bring in and throw out (or don’t throw out), how the place looks and feels like. We are accountable for how spacious and orderly it is or how crammed and disorganised. We are free to choose the things we want to surround ourselves with, and we arrange and use them as we wish.
- We are in control of our mind.
We choose our thoughts, we decide what we believe – about ourselves, our family, our job, about our home (!), about our life – about everything. Then our thoughts and beliefs create feelings which fuel our actions which create the results in our life.
Many of us spend much more time in our homes these days than we usually do.
Public events and business/holiday trips get cancelled. Employees are asked to work from home or to take leave. Others have to look after family members at home. People of higher age or weaker health are asked to stay at home for health-security reasons. Some governments heavily restrict public traffic and insist that nobody leaves their home apart from running absolutely necessary errands.
So what can we do while spending so much time at home?
We all have different needs and wants, requirements and demands that we have to satisfy, and that significantly determine how we (can) use the greater amount of time now spent at home.
Decluttering and organising our home is one of the numerous activity options available to us.
And it’s a particularly useful and helpful activity:
- It offers distraction from feelings of worry and fear.
- It makes us aware and grateful of what we have.
- It allows us to get active and creative.
- It prompts us to clarify our values and priorities.
- It helps us to focus on what’s important to us in our very personal environment.
- It challenges us to question our habits and to review the routines we follow at home.
- It improves our decision-making skills.
- It’s something we can do on our own, independently from outside support.
- It can be arranged as a group activity, getting all family members together.
- It produces direct and visible results and positive change in our home.
- It increases our confidence and sense of self-efficacy.
- It creates feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment.
- …
Usually, decluttering and organising projects have one clear purpose: The creation of a clutterfree & organised home.
And yes, a clutterfree & organised home has many benefits. (Read more)
However, in uncertain and unsettling times, the activity of decluttering and organising itself creates its most important benefit:
Decluttering and organising our home allows us to feel active, powerful and in control, which in turn helps us find more calmness and peace, confidence and resilience in our mind.
Give it a try.
Start a small decluttering project in your home and experience how actively improving your physical environment can help you to feel better.