Trending: #minimalism.
Declutter. Donate. Repeat.
Best decision my husband and I made two years ago. Yes.
However, in some seasons of life, stuff piles up, your energy or your priorities keep you from handling how much you own and you find yourself trying to manage the clutter. #reality.
When you are trying to survive, sometimes the work of minimizing isn’t an option.
I can think of a few seasons this might be the case.
Chronic illness finds you.
A baby joins your family.
You undergo surgery.
A spouse/boyfriend leaves you.
You move to a new house.
Depression or anxiety works you over.
You fill in the blank.
Let’s all be real. We’re American. We have too much stuff, and yes, it helps us to get rid of some of it. I can direct you to a few amazing writers who can help you with that (Joshua Becker, Tsh Oxenreider, or Allie Cassava) . But sometimes we’re just left managing what we have.
If you’re like me, the mess can start to shame you. If you were really a capable person who had it all together, you’d have a pristine house with just the right amount of this and that. There’s a lot to be said about shedding the weight of extra belongings and experiencing freedom from material goods.
But today I just want to tell you that you can have a lot of stuff, be unable to declutter at the moment, and still walk in freedom. Because God doesn’t define holiness by the unopened mail, toys, dirty clothes or plastic cups scattered around your house.
And because we all feel better with a clean floor or counter, here’s my pro tip for survival mode. Pick a room and start sweeping. Scoop up everything on the floor – dirty socks, matchbox cars and magazines included – into a giant pile. Then pick up everything in that pile and put it away. Do the same with a laundry basket and all the flat surfaces in your house. Clear off the tables and counters in one motion and then carry the basket around the house putting stuff away. Then sweep up the dirt or wipe the counters and voila!
Look, this sounds basic, but it revolutionized my housekeeping. My husband actually invented it, so get your significant other in on this. He can sweep and you can put away and it’s a team effort. It’s so much better than tidying up by walking around the room 50 times. The clean room rewards you instantly and it’s simple to collect and stash what needs to go.
When you’re done, get yourself a glass of water, sit on the couch and look around. Enjoy your work and – no joke – you’ll get a dopamine spark in your brain that will perk you up.
Life is too short to be hard on ourselves about our stuff. And we all need the quick fixes we can get. Have you found a solution like this? Spread the love and let me know.
PS These three books help when you do feel ready to tackle some decluttering for extra breathing space in your life.
