Tidying Up

I like to keep my house pretty clean. 

By no means is it immaculate. I have the odd dust bunny scampering around, dusty book shelves, and a variable sized laundry pile on any given day. But for the most part, I wouldn’t feel the need to lie about a recent tornado, house fire, or other disaster if someone dropped by unexpectedly.

Every once in a while though, I get behind on housework. 

That was last week. A couple piles in the laundry room, clothes drying on racks in the spare room, a couple rearranged rooms where every item of every drawer had to be scattered else where, a minor woodworking project in the office, newspapers and fliers all over the dining table, and an ever growing pile of dishes in the kitchen. 

It might be an exaggeration, but it felt like a war zone.

So I tried avoiding it. I got busy with other things, prioritized outdoor chores, and worked on a project for you guys (stay tuned!)

But wouldn’t you know, the laundry pile kept growing, the stack of dishes got taller, and the dust bunnies had babies. It didn’t get better. It got worse.

Finally, I just bit the bullet and got to work, systematically going through each room, organizing, cleaning, tossing, fixing, and filing. 

It’s not perfect. There’s still dust on the shelves and today’s dirty dishes. But *sigh* it’s a much more pleasant place to be.

My mind is a bit like my house. 

Normally tidy and organized.

Occasionally a bit of a war zone.

Normally, I like to think that my mind is calm, open, optimistic, unburdened, and hopeful about most issues. 

But, bit by bit, clutter appears. 

I can be less hopeful about this area of my life. I think negative about that certain issue. I judge others here and there. I give an internal eye roll to this situation. I grumble about that situation. These people drive me up the wall. Those people make me want to be a hermit.

Recently, this was the case for me. My mind was getting cluttered and I didn’t even realize it. Some random video I watched drew my attention to it and I realized just how big the dust bunnies of my mind had become. 

So, just like cleaning my house, I got to work. I looked at each area of my life and assessed the clutter. Some of it I had to let go. Some I had to forgive. I had to go easier on myself in this area of my life, and get my buns in gear in that area of my life. I listened to my heart and emotions. I had to restore my hope here. I had to restore my faith there. 

It’s not perfect. I still have mental dust bunnies. But *sigh* it’s a much more pleasant place to be.

Where in your life do you have to de-clutter? Is it literal? Or is it in your mind?

What do you have to let go of and forgive?

Where do you have to go easier on yourself?

Where do you need a kick in the buns?

Will you listen to your heart? What are your emotions trying to tell you?

Where is your hope? Where is your faith?

Do you need a hand to tidy up your mind? Do you want to learn how to listen to your heart? Do you want to learn how to work with your emotions? Whether it’s at work or at home, with your colleagues or loved ones, our coaching can help you make you mind a more pleasant place to be, *sigh*.

Here’s to Conquering Stress.

With heart,

The Stress Experts