How decluttering can help to bring you mental peace

Hi friends on Read. It's been some time since I've written on this platform after my grand exit a couple months ago. At the time, I was struggling to balance responsibilities and so I needed to step back, step away and clear my head. After a lot of adventures, however, I have returned- pretty much like a prodigal daughter. I hope you will accept me and that we can renew our friendship.

This time around, as a content creator on Read, I propose to provide content focused on the human experience, perhaps influenced by developments of the day, and so in today's post I'm tackling the issue of decluttering.

Yesterday, my friends, I cleaned my library.

At home, I have a mini library of books- literature books I love to read, books I bought for my kids, their school texts, the Bible and religious texts, books of crosswords and Sudoku games, art supplies, etc.

Unfortunately, however, from time to time, this place of learning and creativity can get really messy. There's a lot of foot traffic in this particular room because the children are studying, and then sometimes I draw or paint and that gets messy. Sometimes it's simply a case of books being removed from cupboards and not returned as they should be. And so, we end up with quite a clutter.

Yesterday, by the time I got around to clearing things up, there were cupboards that refused to close; piles of books on tables, chairs, and on the floor; random sheets of paper with scribbles on them. In short, it was a mess. And I was beginning to feel stifled and *skressed*.

I sat down, emptied the cupboards, wiped the shelves, reviewed books, cleaned and organized everything. When I was finished, in this room at least, there was a huge pile of garbage to be thrown out, but I felt a whole lot lighter, like I had a new lease on life.

Today and continuing over the weekend, I am going to do the same for the rest of the house: declutter.

Now, my friends, I am not a hoarder, and this is not simply me being in denial, I truly am not. Nonetheless, I do sometimes still end up with unnecessary clutter which, to me, can feel like it's blocking my energy. Can you relate to this?

Usually when I have a big mess around me, it taints everything. I feel like I also have cobwebbed thoughts, everything around me feels jumbled and a mess, my allergies act up, and I am usually my most unhealthy emotionally too.

When I take the time to sit down, sort, separate, and really clean things up, however, it's like a mist clears.

I have taken some consolation in the fact that I am not alone in feeling this way.

Japanese author and celebrity declutterer Marie Kondo is quoted by Cristina Moon in the article Zen and the way of Tidying , as saying," Tidying is not just about tidying physically, but tidying up your life and yourself—by facing yourself."

There's also a scientific argument for decluttering.

In the WebMD article, Mental Health Benefits of Decluttering, Dr. Dan Brennan MD writes, "A tidier space makes for a more relaxed mind."

The goodly doctor notes that while untidy environments contribute to stress, decluttering allows for better focus, better relationships, and less allergies.

Mind you, I have enjoyed and benefited from creative mess. But you get to an age, I think, where you really start to glean and create space to simply inhale, exhale, spread your arms and enjoy life. And so, as I cross 40 and really begin to embrace midlife, this is where I am. What about you?