Mind Over Clutter. Nicola Lewis
and feel good
It’s easy to feel good about yourself and your life if you start counting your blessings, follow your dream and get organised. Here are some ideas to inspire you:
1.
DO WHAT YOU LOVE
There is a lot of truth in the sentiment that if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. If you’re unhappy and can’t find a new job, try to shift your focus and look for the positives in your current one. At the very least, do one thing you enjoy every day.
2.
FOLLOW YOUR DREAM
Dream big. Since starting TGCO in 2017 I have had the best time! I have met loads of incredible people, made some wonderful friends and have visited homes across the UK. I really believe that if you work hard and surround yourself with your dreams, they will one day come true (so start making that vision board – see here).
3.
STAY FOCUSED AND BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
You are already fresh and fabulous and can achieve whatever you put your mind to. Try to stay away from negativity and never forget your goals.
4.
LIVE FOR EACH DAY
Life is short, so embrace every minute. Don’t be held back by what has happened in the past. Be fearless and look for new opportunities and experiences.
5.
GET UP EARLY
Those quiet moments in the morning are a great time to reflect on your life and what you want your day to look like. It also means you won’t have to rush, and that will immediately make you less stressed.
6.
GO FOR A WALK
Getting fresh air is a brilliant way to clear your mind and it is also a great opportunity to think and plan.
7.
HELP OTHERS
Be compassionate and empathetic. Helping others grow is the best way to help yourself grow. Volunteering is one way to do this; or start with your friends and family and those around you.
8.
SMILE
Every day is full of endless possibilities. You are in control of your attitude, so start your days with a smile and stay optimistic.
9.
PLAN A TRIP
It’s good to have something to look forward to.
10.
PRACTISE GRATITUDE
Be thankful for everything you have already. Celebrate the present and take a more active role in your life.
A person’s most useful asset is not a head full of knowledge but a heart full of love, an ear ready to listen and a hand willing to help others. I believe these are the main qualities of TGCO. Kindness is free, and it really does make the world smile.
– Anonymous Client
I love to have a clear, clutter-free space. Getting rid of all the clutter really is transforming and helps to clear my mind as well as the room I’m in, making me feel calmer and more relaxed; so ‘tidy home, tidy mind’ makes a lot of sense to me.
Decluttering gives you more time for yourself and your family and leads to a healthier and more balanced you. And although a clean environment won’t necessarily solve all your problems, it can have an enormous impact on your emotional wellbeing and outlook and make all the difference to your life.
What is ‘Clutter’?
Clutter means different things to different people, but it’s basically all about filling a space with an untidy and chaotic collection of things. It might happen for a positive reason, such as when you’re moving house or you’re decorating or renovating, or it may build up almost imperceptibly over time. If you find that you have to move things around in your home to accomplish a simple chore, or you feel that you’re drowning in ‘stuff’ and overwhelmed by all the space it takes up, then the likelihood is that you have a clutter problem.
Clutter and Mental Health
Your surroundings can have a dramatic effect on your mood, negatively impacting on your mental health – especially if you’re stressed, under pressure or just struggling with the daily grind. Having unnecessary clutter lying around can act like a visual noise, each item potentially triggering an alarm bell in your head. The truth is that most of us have so much stuff either lying around in full view or shoved inside cupboards that it’s sometimes impossible to find what we are looking for when we want it. With so much to do – laundry to wash, meals to prepare and paperwork to organise – it’s no wonder that sometimes we feel overwhelmed when we’re faced with the endless ‘to-do’ lists of life.
Studies in the United States1 have looked at the causes of clutter and how it impacts people’s emotional wellbeing. The researchers found that cluttered homes can be stressful to live in. Yet many people avoid reorganising their things and throwing out even unused or unwanted belongings, especially if it’s time-consuming or unpleasant. Consequently, they sometimes end up living in a chaotic state, surrounded by mess, which can trigger a physiological response, usually in the form of stress and raised cortisol levels. Cortisol is the body’s main stress hormone and when it increases it can lead to a variety of health problems, such as anxiety, headaches, fatigue, insomnia, memory lapses, concentration problems and even depression. When they declutter, however, even with small steps over a period of time, people can start to feel less anxious and better about themselves.
I know this is true from my own experience, from working with clients and from the feedback I get online in response to my blog and Instagram feed.
Elizabeth, a busy department manager who was diagnosed with depression and anxiety when she was 26 and had been off work for six months, struggled to stay on top of even basic everyday tasks like showering, cleaning the kitchen or vacuuming the carpets. She wrote to me:
One day my mum offered to help clean my house and I was offended. Had it really got that bad? It made me realise I was truly debilitated by my illness. I felt so useless, but I know now that a lot of my untidiness was linked to self-worth and I didn’t see myself as deserving of a clean and well-ordered home.
What Elizabeth learned from TGCO is that cleaning and decluttering needn’t be a chore; it can be a pleasure if you approach it in the right way. You can make it more fun by including your family or turning on some music. Elizabeth saw it as her opportunity to catch up on her favourite podcasts and audiobooks and she felt so much better for getting up and moving around. She also valued the support of the TGCO community on social media:
Talking to people online about depression and anxiety has been a lifeline because I tend to isolate myself when I’m feeling low. But scrolling through Nicola’s feed gives me a friendly nudge in the right direction and makes managing my home feel so much more attainable. There’s no unrealistic standard to try to achieve, just moral support and helpful advice.
Elizabeth now looks forward to decluttering:
The biggest thing I learned is that I don’t have to tackle mammoth tasks