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Just as autumn leaves fall from the trees, gently let go of anything that is no longer serving you.
The trees show us a valuable lesson in the importance of “letting go”. Fall is the perfect time to look back over the past nine months, and give thought to what hasn’t served you well. Taking the time to reflect on this can help you to rid yourself of anything or anyone, stopping you from being your best self! In this blog I am going to give you some areas that can help you shed what is no longer serving you, just as the autumn leaves fall from the trees.
We often think of clutter as just physical belongings. Things that don't have a place to live in our current space. Guess what? Mental and emotional clutter can take up just as much unnecessary space as physical clutter. For some it can be a job we no longer enjoy, toxic relationships, financial debt, or bad habits. The daily stress that comes from neglecting your self-care to tend to the needs of others. The mental clutter of always feeling like there’s not enough time in the day to do all the things!
Physical clutter is also known to be a direct contributor to mental clutter, and that overwhelming feeling of frustration. Visual reminders of disorganization and clutter have a negative effect on our brain. The mental clutter that comes from owning too much stuff with nowhere to store it. Holding on to clothing that no longer fits, or memorabilia that has been passed down to us. The list goes on and on! Whatever form that takes for you, now's the time to put into play practices to let it go.
Here are a few steps you can take to start shedding some of this clutter:
Mental-
Learn to say NO! "No" is a complete sentence.
Don't schedule more into your day than you realistically have time for. I know life gets busy so there are exceptions, but don't make it a habit.
Cut off people who don't add value to your life. If having dealings with certain people only ends up being a draining, irritating, stressful experience, then that's not someone who adds value or brings out the best in you. If it's not a person that you can completely remove from your life, limit your interaction with them to only necessary interactions.
Stop giving of yourself to jobs where you are unhappy and are expendable. I know we all have bills and not everyone's circumstances allows them to turn down overtime. If you can instead take that time to pour into you and what you love to do, try!
Physical-
This is a great time to sort through your winter clothing to donate items you know you're not going to wear or didn’t wear last winter. Donate all things summer! That would include outgrown clothes, bathing suits, pool shoes, and ANYTHING you didn't wear all summer. Donate outdoor toys your children won't play with next summer. Pack away any summer clothing you're keeping in vacuum seal bags or weathertight storage containers.
Get your coat closet winter ready. Match all gloves and toss the rest. Any hats, scarves, boots, etc. that won’t get worn by yourself or your family needs to be donated.
The holiday season is approaching, so it’s a good time to pull out gift wrapping supplies and decorations that haven’t been used in eternity and donate or toss them.
Rather you procrastinated or sincerely never found the time to organize your garage, now’s the time. Take the time to pull out and sort through items that haven’t been used (old tools with broken or missing parts, mystery boxes or bins) and donate or toss them.
These are just a few areas in which you can start shedding just as the autumn leaves fall from the trees. Remember, every time you get rid of something you are investing in a calmer space. Release who or what doesn't align with your intentions and surround yourself with what supports the life you want for yourself!