I'd like to venture into the land of your nightstand and the area under
your bed. These are two common areas where clutter loves to accumulate
like fabric to a lint screen. Today's clutter bust is especially
important because we take the things that are near us into our sleep.
Clutter disrupts our sleep. Chaos takes away our peace of mind.
So
let's take a look at the nightstand first. Have a bag for trash, one
for charity and another for recycling. Take everything off your
nightstand and place them on the floor. This also includes the items in
drawers. Spread the items out so you can see everything. Pick up the
first item. Ask yourself, "Is this paper conducive to sleep?" "Does this
book have a calming effect on me?" "Do I need this photo?" "Does this
magazine make me feel irritable?" "Can I let this go?" "Do I actually
listen to these CDs
and do they relax me?" "Do the batteries work in this flashlight?" You
are taking care of yourself by asking thorough questions.
I've
had a number of clients have ten or more books on the nightstand, or on
the floor and under the bed. When questioned, they often realize that
they don't need the majority of them. Questioning wakes up a part of us
that's gone dormant. When we get overwhelmed we often think we need more
things. We are looking for things to make us feel better. But it turns
out, going the other way, eliminating unnecessary stuff gives us our
strength back.
After going through the nightstand items, put
things that you are keeping back in a way that makes you want to curl up
in bed and take a leisurely nap.
Now pull out everything from
under the bed. Continue to ask of each thing, "Do I love you or can you
go?" I once had a client who had so many items under her bed that it was
hard to pull them out. We actually had to lift the bed up to get to
them. It turns out they were gifts that people had given her that she
didn't care for.
When you're done, put nothing back under the bed. It's best to have this space open and peaceful.
The main thing you want to do is keep the space below your bed empty,
and to keep the minimum amount of things next to your bed.
After you've done this clutter bust, and when you go
to bed that evening, turn out the light, lay quietly in bed, and feel the space.
Feel the new peace that you created. You're learning to have an
awareness of your space.
Feeling at home in your living space will make you happy.
If you need assistance with the clutter bust, check this out.
(This has been a clutter busting repost blast from the past!)