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Homestead Giving You Static Clutter?
Guest Post By Brandi Goodnight
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Have you ever felt a connection between the clutter in your house and your anxiety levels? When sitting in your space, you should be able to feel relaxed and safe. However, when your place is cluttered, it can feel overwhelmed, uncomfortable, uneasy, and all-around depressed.
If we consistently live like that, we retreat into our heads. Living like this can heighten our anxiety because we have nowhere else to go. When we relax, we give our minds a break and allow it to shut off. If we can't relax in our house, our minds can't take a break.
Static Clutter
I call this static clutter. I call it that because that was the only way I could describe how my house made me feel. That white noise static you get on your TV when it has no connection? That is what went through my head when I was home. My brain never got a break, my anxiety rose, and I started to shut down.
I struggled to make simple decisions, couldn't focus on the things I enjoyed, and my family suffered. I didn't transform my house overnight. It took me many years to get where I am today. I started with simple moves so I wouldn't get overwhelmed. I worked in one corner, on one table, or even one drawer. Sometimes I got the motivation to do entire rooms.
Listen to your Mind and Body
I tried to listen to my mind and body to tell me when to stop. There were times I didn't listen and got burnt out. I ended up taking a step back during those moments because I would have quit if I hadn't. I'll let you in on a little secret; my house was borderline hoarder status. I was too embarrassed to take pictures of my kids or let anyone visit. The turning point for me was my clothes. I found project 333 from Courtney Carver of Be More with Less. (Project 333)
Project 333
Project 333 is 33 items of clothing for three months. It includes purses, jewelry, shoes, and accessories. When I read about this, I found the motivation to go through my closet. I wanted to see if this was something I could do. I needed something extreme! I donated six trash bags of clothes! (jaw dropped to the floor) I didn't even realize I had that much stuff.
I have since modified it to 44 items for the year because I don't change my wardrobe for the seasons. Years later and I have stuck with it. At this point, I learned my mind craved minimalism. I think that is because I was in that never-ending cycle for so long.
Minimalism might not be what helps you with your static clutter. Just work on little steps to bring yourself to a point where you can breathe.
How to Start Out
Start with a drawer or a corner. Maybe pick a table or a shelf. Go as slow as you need. Through this process, you will learn how or why it got to this point. If you take it too fast, you may find yourself in a never-ending cycle.
The most important part of this process is to figure out why. Why did it get to this point? Why does it affect me in this way? Figure these out and, you will get to your breathing point in no time.
So where you are in this process? Do you have static clutter? Are you a minimalist? Have you already made it through the process and made it to your breathing point? You can contact me at: LiveLaughLoveHonestly@gmail.com.
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Brandi Goodnight, Freelance Writer
Guest Author Spotlight
My name is Brandi Goodnight, I am a mother to 3 teens and a wife of 16 years. When I had my oldest I became a SAHM, I went back to work 5 years ago. I have worked and continue to work on improving who I am as a person. I want to share my journey and help others on theirs.!
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