Organize your home, organize your life

One area I have studied as a health coach is home environment and the effect this has on our health. I found this so interesting as I reflected back on my own environments in the past. I feel anxiety and tension in my whole body and I know when there is tension in the house I feel it physically. Or if my home is a mess or too cluttered I feel like my mind is too. Health is not only what we eat or how much exercise we get, it’s who and what we are surrounded by. Most of us have probably heard of the Marie Kondo method by now. Her book was a huge hit and earned her a couple of series on Netflix. Read all about her approach here. She encourages us to decide if an item “sparks joy” and if not, release it. Donate it. Throw it away. Fill your home only with the things (and ideally people) which bring you joy. That dress you’ve been holding onto until you lose weight.. does it bring you joy right now? If not, it goes. Own and wear clothes that make you feel good and more like yourself now, not who you may or may not become. I would encourage you to assess each room in your house. Maybe pick one closet or even just one shelf for this week to clean out and work up to larger spaces from there. Most of us have been spending much more time at home than we used to and it’s important that the home is a place to set the tone for your life. If you feel overwhelmed with life, start by decluttering your home and work at decluttering your life! Enlist a friend (or coach!) to support your efforts. If you don’t enjoy the process of cleaning and organizing, find someone who does and can help you find your fresh start. I would encourage you to check the story of the Minimalists here, they also have popular books and a Netflix documentary. It’s easy to think of minimalism as only how many material items you possess but the concept is actually about making room for more. More “things” that matter. More experiences, more peace, more freedom, etc. I know from personal experience how good it feels to remove unwanted/unused items from my home. Now, people are another story :). Sometimes you can’t choose who you live with but you can choose your attitude and hopefully still create a small space to call yours. Our minds have such a huge impact on our overall health and our environment affects our minds. -CS