This blog post is contributed by Nixie Marie, Feng Shui expert and founder of Claryti zero waste cleaning products.
Decluttering can be one of the most important tools to creating a peaceful mind. We are all victims of hoarding to some degree after all we live in a consumerist culture where we were taught materialism from the day we took our first breath in this world.
How do we unlearn these habits and find true happiness? Research as well as the documentary I AM by Tom Shadyac has been proving that materialism does not drive happiness, in fact the very opposite. In I AM, Tom, a very successful film producer (you might know him from his films Ace Ventura, Nutty Professor, Liar Liar, Patch Adams, and Bruce Almighty) explains how a bicycle accident changed his entire world view. Living in his mansion filled with all his material possessions he reached the goal of having it all. Yet, there was something very largely missing in his life; true fulfillment and happiness. It took a near-death experience for him to realize he had it all wrong. He shifted his life from his addiction to material possessions and opted for a simpler life filled with more impact and memories with people he loves.
In a way, I believe this is one of the most important lessons to learn in today's world.
Happiness can't be found in the amount of material possessions you own. Happiness is found through living a life filled with purpose, memories, and living in the present moments. The present is the ultimate gift that outweighs all material possessions.
This is why decluttering can bring peace to your life. If you often feel the weight of the world and all its stressors, decluttering just may be the cure for your anxiety. In a study published in "Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin", women who describe their living spaces with negative language, such as cluttered, disorganized or messy, are more likely to experience mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. This study also confirms that women with cluttered homes have higher levels of cortisol.
So we arrive at the age old question: Why do we continue to do the things that we know aren't good for us? From a spiritual perspective we tend to enjoy staying in our comfort zones and our Ego may really enjoy convincing us that taking action towards feeling good isn't to our benefit. We have to learn to rise above the inner voices that tell us to stay in a struggle mentality.
When we declutter our homes, it creates peace in our minds to eliminate that which we don't need.
At Yoga Wake Up, we care deeply about creating a morning routine that is free of stress and distraction, that welcomes you feeling your best. So we welcome the opportunity to join Nixie Marie in learning how to De-Clutter Your Morning Routine.