3 Ways Decluttering is a Form of Self-Love, and How to Get Started and How You're Missing Out #088

Join forces with me, Caroline Thor, as we embark on a life-affirming quest to declutter our lives, an act that goes beyond mere organization to touch the essence of self-care. Picture your home not just as a series of rooms, but as a canvas for your personality, a nurturing space where the absence of clutter magnifies peace, sparks joy, and enhances your mental clarity. In the heart of our discussion, we delve into the symbiotic relationship between a tidy space and an uplifted spirit, exploring the many ways in which the act of purging what no longer serves us can lead to a profound sense of self-love.  I'll share insights from studies linking organized living spaces to reduced stress, heightened cognitive function, and even improved sleep quality.

But it's not just about the destination; it's about the journey, too. I invite you to step boldly onto the path of intentional decluttering, to make that first empowering declaration of self-love through the KonMari Method®. Embrace the ripple effect of positivity in your life as we shape a home that reflects the very best of who you are. And for those craving community and ongoing motivation, our Living Clutter Free Forever podcast Facebook group awaits, a sanctuary of support where we can share our triumphs and challenges. So, whether you're a busy parent navigating a hectic lifestyle or anyone yearning for a tranquil retreat from the world's hustle, I'm here to guide and inspire you towards a serene, clutter-free existence that is the truest expression of you.

JOIN THE NEW LIVING CLUTTER FREE FOREVER PODCAST FACEBOOK GROUP HERE!

Thanks for listening! For more organizational motivation, support and free resources:
Join my podcast Facebook group Living Clutter Free Forever Podcast: KonMari® Inspired Organizing | Facebook
Visit my website www.caroline-thor.com
Come and say 'hi' on Instagram @caro.thor
Follow me on Facebook @carolineorganizer
Join my online membership Clutter Free Collective

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:27

Hi there, I'm Caroline Thor, professional organizer, konmari consultant, teacher and mum of three. I started off my life as a mum feeling overwhelmed, disorganized and desperately trying to carve out some time for me amongst the nappies, chaos and clutter. One day, one small book called the Life-Changing Magic of Tidying changed everything and I began to learn strategies for making everyday life easier. Today I have the systems in place that means life can throw almost anything at me, and I want to share them with you. If you're an overwhelmed mum struggling to keep it together, then this is the podcast for you. Grab a coffee and settle in for a quick chat with someone who gets your reality. Hello, and welcome back to the Living Clutter Free Forever. Podcast. If you've listened before and if it's your first time, I am so glad to have you here.

Speaker 1: 1:33

We have now entered February. I don't know where January went, but as I'm recording this, it's the start of February and as it's the month of love, with Valentine's Day coming up, I wanted to make sure that we really think about how our decluttering and organizing journey can be a demonstration of self-love and self-care. But before we get onto that, I have some really exciting news. I am thrilled, really thrilled, to be able to invite you to join the Living Clutter Free Forever podcast Facebook group. This is something that has been in the pipeline for a long time. There's been an amazing community growing and blossoming from this podcast. I get DMs all the time from people telling me how much they've enjoyed episodes and about their journey and what they're up to, and I wanted to create this Facebook group so that we've all got somewhere to go where we can connect and share and support each other on our decluttering journeys. It's going to be Conmari inspired, as I'm a Conmari consultant, and what you can expect. There are weekly updates on what's going on, on the latest podcast episodes, exclusive bonus materials, and I will be going live in the group once a week. We're going to create a vibrant community that's dedicated to decluttering and organizing through the magic of the Conmari method, and I cannot wait to see you there so that we can declutter and transform together. Now, to get there, all you have to do is go to wwwcaroline-thorcom. That will take you to a sign up page where I'll send you an email and from there you will have the link to join the Facebook group. It's that simple, or you can just go to Facebook and search for Living Clutter Free Forever Podcast, and you should find the group that way as well. Either way, I cannot wait to see you there, to meet you in person and to hear your story. So let's see if we can't build the most amazing community.

Speaker 1: 3:52

Okay, back to today's episode. I said at the start that decluttering and organizing is really a form of self-love. Now, what exactly does that mean? I looked it up in the dictionary and the dictionary definition is a regard for one's own well-being and happiness. Now that is definitely what happens when we make an intentional decision to declutter and organize our spaces, because by doing that, we are saying I am worth doing this, I would like to do something for me, and it becomes a journey of self-love and self-care and there is a massive connection between having an organized space and personal well-being. Now, there are lots of reports that have been written on this, but I want to give you just a few examples of how decluttering and organizing can promote personal well-being.

Speaker 1: 4:57

So, for example, there have been studies done that suggest that a cluttered environment can contribute to stress and decluttering can help create a more calming space. That has certainly been my experience going through my decluttering and organizing journey. I have said many times in these podcast episodes that I was a super stressed mum when my kids were little and I hadn't realized how much my home was having an effect on how I was feeling. And once I applied the Konmari method in our home, it was like every week I just got a little bit calmer and a little bit calmer. So it wasn't just the space that was getting calm, I was too.

Speaker 1: 5:43

It's also been shown that living with clutter around you and I'm not talking here about homes completely rammed where you can't even find a path through but if, for you, the space feels too cluttered, this can have a negative impact on your ability to focus and process information. So, therefore, organizing can actually enhance your cognitive function and productivity, which is just amazing. And if your home is cluttered or chaotic, you are very likely to have higher cortisol levels the stress hormone and experience more fatigue and depression than those people's whose homes are restful and restorative, and this was actually published in a study called the influence of the indoor environment on wellbeing and creativity that was published in 2014. I'm sure you've also heard that a clutter free bedroom can contribute to better sleep quality. This has been suggested by the National Sleep Foundation that a tidy and organized space may promote relaxation and improve sleep hygiene. And then the thing that I think is actually the most wonderful is that as we are decluttering and organizing, we start to feel really pleased with ourselves, and it's almost like we've got a reward by the finished product and we get a release of dopamine happy hormones that provide a sense of accomplishment, and that makes us feel good, and I've certainly been seeing that from the people in my online membership in their challenge that they completed in January where they were working on one space. This feeling of accomplishment, this sense of accomplishment just makes you feel good. So, basically, what's not to love? You're creating a home that not only reflects your unique personality but also becomes a sanctuary for your wellbeing. So let's explore how this simple act of decluttering can kickstart a journey of self-love.

Speaker 1: 7:52

As a Konmari consultant, I often find that decluttering goes well. I don't often find it always is the case that decluttering goes beyond merely tidying up physical spaces. It is a profound act of self-care If you think about it. When we release the unnecessary physical baggage that we have, we're also freeing up mental spaces, like a weight being lifted off your shoulders, and decluttering becomes a mindful practice, a way to prioritize our mental and emotional wellbeing. So it's not just about organizing stuff, it's about nurturing our inner selves. And when I think about how, we'll very often say I don't have time to do this, but when we do find the time to do it, we're investing in ourselves. That means we're nurturing our inner selves and that is so, so important.

Speaker 1: 8:53

And what we're working on in the membership clutter-free collective this month, in February, is we're looking to create a space in the home where you can be and feel relaxed and at peace and you have things that spark joy surrounding you, and that we actually learn how to find the time to be in this space and to actually enjoy it. Because we're always so busy we don't have time to sit down and read, we don't have time to sit down and have that cup of coffee. I am so guilty of this myself. I have a couple of spaces in my home that I absolutely love, but I rarely get a chance to actually be in them and enjoy them. So I'm working myself on this this month to actually try and create these pockets of time for me as a form of self-care, that I can sit and just be in these spaces and do something that I enjoy doing.

Speaker 1: 9:57

Now let's talk about practical tips. Let's talk about how we can actually incorporate self-care into our daily routines through decluttering. So imagine you start your day with a simple ritual you make your bed. Maybe that's something you already do, maybe you don't, but it's a small act and yet studies have shown that it can set a positive tone for the rest of the day and that can then follow on into other little routines that we have. So perhaps we have designated spaces for essentials like keys, so that as we leave the home, we know where we're going to find our car key. That in itself is a form of self-care, because we are making sure that as we leave the house, we're not going to create any stress for ourselves. So these small, intentional actions can lead to a more organized but also a much more fulfilling life. So although this is a very short episode this week, I think the contents of it is actually really powerful.

Speaker 1: 11:07

I would like you to think about how you're decluttering and organizing, whether you have already embarked on that journey or whether it's something that you intend to do in this coming year, how that is actually a way for you to show self-love and self-care, and then how we can create joyful spaces that will enhance our mental and emotional wellbeing, and how we can build little rituals and routines into our day that will mean we can maintain our organized home but also allow us to have a home that supports our ideal lifestyle and I'm always banging on about this, but there's no point having a home that actually makes your day to day living more difficult. So my example of having a place where the keys go or maybe your phone is so that you're not permanently looking for them. That may sound totally insignificant, but if you're someone who's permanently having to look for these things, it just adds extra stress into your day. So by setting up these practices of organizing and maintaining these routines, then it means that you are going to be thinking more intentionally about yourself and your wellbeing. I hope you have found some of these ideas useful.

Speaker 1: 12:32

I hope it's got you thinking about your own situation and how you can perhaps tweak a few things to ensure that your decluttering and organizing journey does become a way for you to show self-love and self-care, and I would like you to remember that your journey to self-love through decluttering is uniquely yours.

Speaker 1: 12:55

You need to find the way that works and resonates best with you. So take that first step, embrace the process and let the love for your space reflect the love that you have for yourself. I encourage you to embark on this decluttering journey with intention, and you will see the positive changes it brings. Don't forget, if you would like more advice like this and more motivation and accountability. I would love to see you in our new Facebook group, the Living Clutter Free Forever podcast Facebook group. There are going to be some very exciting episodes ahead. I think you're going to love the one coming next week. It's really quite unique and like nothing I've done before, and I look forward to bringing you more strategies for how you can implement the Konmari method in your home. So until next time.