28 Apr Awaken to Decluttering: It's Time to Make Space

This blog post was written by Recovery Help Now’s, Elana Clark-Faler, LCSW, CSAT-S, CGP, Clinical Director.

Is your life fast paced?  Does your schedule run you? Do you have space in your life?

I think it’s very difficult to make space to think, workout, fellowship or sleep.  Life is going all the time and your focus may be on more important things, such as paying your bills.  However if your health suffers, you have nothing.

The answer…Create space in physical, mental, spiritual, emotional and social areas of your life.

Reduce clutter in your living environment.  When I was a kid, my mother had us spring and fall clean to prepare for both summer and winter.  My brother and I would have to go through our closets and drawers and prepare to give away bags of clothing and other items to Goodwill.  This was important for our family, because we learned the value of giving back and letting go.

Tips to Declutter:

It’s important to clean off your desk and dressers.  File papers away and let go of things that have no more use in your home.  It’s time to create space.  But remember not to fill the space back up with more stuff.

Another physical activity of creating space is maintaining a schedule, which organizes your life.  It’s important to make space in your schedule to travel, eat, sleep and socialize.  If you don’t plan it, it won’t happen.  When creating your schedule make sure you have quiet time, reading time, fellowship, meditation, walks in nature and exercise.  Having quiet time brings order and balance to your life.  These times of space, help you learn how to manage anxiety and learn how to work with silence.  Many individuals struggle with silence.  Meaning, there are individuals that struggle with being alone, or are unable to manage sitting with themselves.  Many have gotten uncomfortable with space.  You see individuals on their smart phones, and rarely just breathing without activity.

Creating time for reflection is crucial, because you gain insight and awareness.  Sometimes your best ideas come out of the calm.  It’s time to journal and reflect.

It’s critical to let go of the clutter of your mind, because your mind is over active. Let go of unnecessary thoughts that don’t serve you.  See them come and see them float by.  Avoidance isn’t the answer.  It’s being able to acknowledge thoughts and make an active choice to let them go.  Visualization and meditation help you utilize more brain power and teach you to let go of unnecessary thoughts.  Check out UCLA Mindfulness Classes to learn more about Mindfulness:  http://marc.ucla.edu.

Creating space for emotions and spirituality is important too.  Emotions communicate messages to our body, saying that there is something to pay attention to.  To acknowledge and take personal responsibility for your emotion, and to share these feelings with others who are supportive.  Creating spiritual space looks different for each person.  You have your own relationship with your Higher Power.  How ever you honor this time for yourself, a hike or meditation, this is your time to connect and feel a part of something bigger.  Letting go of feeling alone.  See the connection you have with everything.

Are you ready to make space for yourself?  What is your commitment this week to yourself?