The mind is ever a tourist
Wanting to touch and buy
New things then throw them
Into an already full closet.
-Hafiz
Cleaning the kitchen, washing windows or rinsing our mental palate are all necessary tasks. Cleaning and decluttering, for me, are mindfulness practices. They are not chores that I dread, nor ways to strive for a perfect living environment, but ways to practice living in the present moment.
Today, I will help you declutter your home and your head. Start right where you are, and pick a few things that you don’t need or use, and put them in a bag or box to be donated or recycled. You’ve now started. Tomorrow, do it again.
If you have been overwhelmed by feelings surrounding your current circumstances, stop and write. Set a timer for five minutes and write. Don’t worry about spelling. Don’t worry if it doesn’t make sense. Don’t worry about being nice. When the five minutes come to an end, take a few deep breaths. Then take the paper and shred it. By physically letting go of these written feelings, you are allowing yourself room for something new. Tomorrow, do it again.
These activities don’t make our feelings go away. Our mindfulness practice is forever a journey. But by physically removing what you don’t need anymore, you ignite the power of change. Decluttering helps us form new habits and new futures.
What are you decluttering today?
In many ways Mindful Monday is an experiment. It is an experiment and a quest. This quest is meant to help you learn something new about yourself – to empower you to sit with stillness. Please feel free to share your thoughts. We always love hearing from you.
Ever timely. I will be excavating my dining room of unneeded paperwork, pens, pencils, and office stuff. The writing I look forward to. The immediate “let go” of my thoughts will be interesting as I tend to want to hang on to my journals as a log. I am mindful that it will free up space for new thoughts. Thank you for the post.