Your Space is Sacred; Unclutter Your Life
I’ve been doing some major uncluttering lately across all aspects of my life.
I’ve torn through closets, and gotten rid of anything that I have not worn in the last 12-16 months. Yes, even those things that I love, but just don’t wear. Gone. The things with tags still on them that have been sitting there since 2012. Gone. I’ve gotten rid of about 15 pairs of shoes. Boots, heals, flats, fancy, and plain. Gone. If it hurts my feet, it has no more use in my life. If I bought it years ago, and have never worn it, it’s gone. It doesn’t matter how much they cost or how cute they are. It’s all cluttering up my life. I filled an enormous industrial strength garbage bag to the top, and donated it all. It was so heavy that I couldn’t pick it up! It feels amazing to create space in my life. It feels good to simplify. To let go. To stop attaching to physical possessions.
The uncluttering doesn’t stop there. I’ve been working on uncluttering what I read and expose myself to as well. Years ago, I used to read trashy gossip magazines. I would cling to images of supermodels and celebrities that were digitally enhanced, and want to look more like them. I’d follow the trendy diets, the latest styles (I went through a winged eyeliner phase because that’s what was “in”—it was pretty bad!), and the workouts that would burn 1000 calories in 45 minutes. I read about who dumped who, who lost the baby weight the fastest, and which celeb was now in rehab. I haven’t read any of that garbage for years now. I have no idea which celebrity is doing what. I don’t care. What you surround yourself with creeps into how you think, view the world, and feel about yourself. We also got rid of cable about a year and a half ago. My husband and I were done spending lots of money to watch what felt like mind-numbing junk. We now use an Apple TV, and stream what we want to watch and actually enjoy. Saving money is a huge bonus, too!
Lately I’ve recognized that I needed to clean out the images I view yet again. I needed to edit who I follow on social media. I follow some super inspiring people that I LOVE, but I noticed that images started to pop up on my feed that bothered me… Some big accounts that are supposed to be yoga or health inspiration that are only showing unrealistic bodies doing unrealistic poses that most of us will never do. I’m talking about images of woman who are incredibly skinny, extremely flexible, doing crazy stuff. It’s amazing, yes! I’m not putting those people down at all, but that’s not what true inspiration should be about in my opinion. It’s not even what yoga is about. Maybe show some of that end of the spectrum, but also show the other 99.99% of who is doing yoga and living a healthy lifestyle. Now that would be super inspiring! Yoga and health is for everyone! It's not about looking hot. It's about living an amazing life. I don't want to just view something that someone decided is "ideal", and the standard the rest of us should be aiming for. A healthy body is not just a tan size 2 body wearing a sexy bikini. The message of what true health and wellness are seem to have been traded in for images that just produce a lot of likes. The girl in the tiny bikini eating a bowl of blueberries by the pool is not promoting holistic nutrition. It’s promoting sex. There’s a balance here. It’s great to be confident, sexy, and wear bikinis (I’ve posted photos in bikinis myself!), but there is a lot more to inspiration than those images alone. They seem to be more ego driven than anything. Healthy people can also have cellulite and some muffin top (I do!). Let’s promote embracing who we are, and good mental health, too. I’m happier scrolling through my Instagram now, and viewing healthy inspiration rather than clutter.
Lastly, I’ve been uncluttering my thoughts. It seems like the fatigue and hormones of pregnancy have been toying with me. I’ve been tired, more judgmental towards myself, and less compassionate. I hear the negative self-talk more often now, and I don’t have as much energy now to recognize that it’s all crap. Being present has been really challenging. When I meditate, I find myself thinking about anything and everything. Especially food! Like pizza. I’ve been struggling with doing less, taking it easy, resting more, and not working towards something all of the time. It’s the anxious over-achiever in me coming out to mess with me! So I’ve been uncluttering my mind by recognizing what’s going on, and that only I can fix the painful thinking by showing myself more love and compassion, and throwing out the thoughts that don’t serve me (Just like I tossed the shoes that hurt my feet, or unfollowed accounts that don't truly promote healthy living). Balance is a constant dance. Some days it is easy to be at peace. Other days we have to work a little harder to combat the issues and remain calm. Right now I need to work a little harder, and that’s okay! Just because I do this for a living doesn’t mean I have to be perfect at it myself. I am a human after all.
Your dwelling, your body, and your mind are sacred spaces. Be mindful of what you allow in!
Are you uncluttering your life right now? What junk are you removing so that you can shine brightly? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
With love,
Lindsay
