The Power of Decluttering
Everyone has some stress in their lives when they are confronted by their “to do" list. A little stress can be a positive reaction, it helps you to get things done with energy, but it can become overwhelming if it continues for too long with no breaks. What can we do to alleviate stress in our lives?
There are many different and valid approaches we can adopt to combat stress, such as keeping a diary, learning to say no to people without guilt, meditating, yoga. Many things can introduce positivity, calmness and clarity into our busy minds.
But one thing you should definitely do is look at your home as a possible source of stress and confusion. You can understand a lot about somebody by looking at their home, because the spaces we live in externally reflect the way we are on the inside. And our living and working spaces can perpetuate order or disorder in our lives.
Our homes should be sanctuaries of comfort, security, relaxation, space and clarity. Everything should have a place and be in that place when not used. According to the method KonMari, from the Japanese organising consultant Marie Kondo, 80% of the confusion in the home is caused not by a lack of space but by a lack of organisation. Statistics say that on average we lose 16 hours a year just looking for our car keys.
I’m sure you know that positive and refreshing feeling created by clearing out rubbish, then cleaning and reorganising a room. But if you’re a hoarder and you’ve been holding onto every single object that has passed through your front door since you can’t remember when, then maybe the idea of decluttering can fill you with dread - where do I start? How do I let go of things?
Well, the important thing according to the experts is to start. The famous KonMari method teaches you to tidy up by category not location, the first category is clothes. So you gather all the clothes you have into one location, so it’s easy to see what you have, what you really need and what you can let go. If an item no longer serves a purpose and it gives you no joy, you should sincerely thank it for its service and let it go.
And once you’ve done a big sort out, you should schedule a declutter at least once a month. It’s best if all members of your household are involved, and also know that they know where things live - the keys go here, shoes live here, and so on. You can also adopt a “one new thing in, one old thing out” rule, to avoid a buildup of new clutter. We must free ourselves of the old to make space for the new. Give away, throw away, sell or donate, learn to let go.
Nobody told us about these good living techniques at school, but they are without a doubt an important part of finding harmony between your home, your things and your life.
If You enjoyed this podcast you can find out more about me on my website - speakwithnick.it
Ciao for now!
Language Focus
“... confronted by their to do list” - trovarsi di fronte ad un elenco delle cose da fare
“overwhelming” - schiacciante, enorme, travolgente
“a source of stress” - una fonte di stress
“Everything should have a place and be in that place when not used” - Ogni cosa dovrebbe avere un posto e rimanere in quel posto quando non viene utilizzata
“a lack of organisation” - una mancanza di organizzazione
“a hoarder” - qualcuno che accumula in modo compulsivo
“decluttering” - fare ordine e liberarsi di cose che non servono più
“to tidy up” - fare ordine, mettere le cose al loro posto
“a big sort out” - un grande riordino
“give away, throw away, sell or donate” - dare via, buttare via, vendere o donare
