Most people would agree that cleaning your house is a consistently demanding job throughout our lives. Whether you live in a small apartment or a luxurious mansion, there is always something to clean. The same can be said about our minds. The difference is generally speaking, we tend to focus more energy on the house keeping than the mind keeping.
For instance if you’re expecting company, what is the first thing you do? Tidy. You do a quick clean, you might even just hide some of the mess in a cupboard or closet. Those things are still there, and you know they are, but your company is often none the wiser. The same goes when you only gently tidy your mind, or you cram things behind ‘doors and drawers’ up there. We can ’10 second tidy’ for those around us in both senses, coming across as organized and clean, but what is lurking behind the couch? Tumbleweeds of fur. What is scattered throughout the top shelves? Dust. What is in that drawer that you hope they don’t open in the kitchen? Everything!
Sometimes this build up happens without knowing. I mean, we’re all busy right? Way too busy to be dusting our lives away. The same thing happens in our minds. We get busy and forget to clean behind the couches. Most of the time we don’t even realize how messy it’s become, until it’s overwhelming. Some people can handle clutter better than others, some people don’t even mind living in their own little dusty world.
For me, the clutter is a place I can get to in house and mind without knowing. For me, I try and focus on maintenance in all parts of life, but it isn’t always easy. In fact, if it was easy, then why would we not all live our lives dust bunny and fancy free?
The thing is, deep cleaning your mind is just like deep cleaning your house. You have to make a bigger mess before you can start seeing progress and getting cleaner and clearer. You have to pull out the couch, dust the shelves, empty out those junk drawers and so on. The mind needs to unload before it can tidy up as well.
So what are some things that I do to de-clutter the mind?
Meditation. Meditation is such an amazing tool, and one I never thought I would be able to utilize. In fact, I was pretty serious about my inability to meditate. I was one of those ‘I can’t NOT think’ type thinkers. Then I realized that it isn’t about not thinking. It’s not about an empty mind, but it is about controlling those thoughts and letting them move and or leave appropriately. Meditation can be for everyone, but you have to find what works for you.
Journaling. Getting those tumbleweeds out of mind and onto paper is so so good for the mind. This was yet another thing that was not always for me. I would judge my words coming out through the pen, which meant I was judging my thoughts, which is totally not the goal of journaling at all hahah.
Exercise. Physical activity does magical things for the mind. I have what I like to call a stubborn body (I blame the Taurus in me), but regardless of the physical effects that I see, I love the effects of exercise on the mind. Consistent exercise is such an effective mind cleanser.
There are many other things that can help the mind, from chatting to good friends, speaking to counselors, reading personal development material, art, writing a blog(!) etc etc. You just need to find what works for you. I think if we could all spend a little more time focusing on keeping our minds as tidy as our living spaces, we’d all be a bit better off.
Anyways, I’m not sure where I was going with this, but I just looked out the window and realized how dirty it is, so I’m off to play with Windex.
Lots of love and tidy thoughts to all ! <3