Clearing The Clutter

create

a clearing

in the dense forest

of your life

Martha Postlethwaite

Over the past few months, I’ve been clearing out my flat. I’ve now emptied it of everything that was sitting around unloved or unused. If I’m honest, I really let the clutter build up over the two years since my son was born, preferring to use my limited free time to do other stuff, such as write. I’m actually a bit embarrassed to share this, given I’m an architect who cares deeply about spaces, and knows what a profound impact they can have on us.

The good news is I’m writing this from a home that feels very different to six months ago. One that contains only things I love or are useful to me (which also makes them loveable), and whose energy longer feels stagnant and heavy, but light and full of possibility. I can now see my treasured possessions clearly, whereas before they were lost amidst all that stuff I didn’t care so much about.

It’s also made me reflect on how easy it is to accumulate thoughts we don’t need, and how they too can shroud us from the good stuff. And while once a physical object is gone, it’s gone, thoughts have a wily way of showing up again and again, even when we know they’re not in our best interests. Such as the ones that tell us we’re not good enough, or we’re unheard, incapable.

But as with the stuff that gathers in our homes, we do have a choice as to which thoughts we carry around with us. Some might be pretty persistent visitors, but they’re not immoveable ones. And when I’m able to let go of the mental clutter, even if just briefly, I feel so much better.

What helps shift it? I find it useful to first ask myself, is this thought actually true? Often, it’s not. Then to ask myself, is it helpful? Usually, that’s a no, too.

I’ll also bring my attention to something else, such as the rise and fall of my breath in my body, or the feeling of the ground that holds me. Something that’s ‘bigger’ than my preoccupations. It reminds me that while they can feel all-consuming, there’s a whole other world out there, waiting to be embraced. A world that’s spacious and magical, and which invites us to participate in the good stuff, such as fun, creativity and the courage to take risks and try new things.