Blank Space
Let's talk about BLANK SPACE. It's funny how when the brain sees empty space, we automatically feel the need to fill it. As humans, we often CRAVE space but then have a desperate urge to fill space with stuff.
It's not just surfaces or closets. It's lapses in conversation. It's a weekend with nothing on the calendar. It's a moment of waiting for your dinner date to return from the bathroom.
I challenge you to try something different: lean into the spaciousness. Wiggle around into the emptiness and breathe through that initial discomfort. Settle into the possibilities and allow a blank space to just BE.
Goodbye, anxiety; hello, calm. (I can say this confidently because I've been on both sides)
"When you are seeking to fill space externally, it's because you are seeking to fill a voice inside yourself. The external can sometimes be a direct reflection of what we truly feel like inside. Often when the physical space is filled with clutter you are just covering up the emptiness you may feel inside. Clutter can give you short-term comfort and even an ego boost. The 'stuff' you use to fill your spaces with may help you feel less lonely and fill any internal void, but what you truly need to do is declutter and embrace your physical, mental, and time-space." Source: https://trishadunbar.medium.com/why-do-we-feel-the-need...
This is fresh on my mind right now because I have two clear examples AND this directly correlates to professional organizing.
1. I cleared two bedroom closets with a client this week, one of which held her clothes and the other held everything travel-related AND had a lot of leftover space. Her almost instant response was "ok how can I fill the rest of this up?"
WAIT! DON'T! Not yet! Let yourself be uncomfortable and get really *conscious* about how you'd function BEST with a change to that space. We brainstormed together about making an unpacking station with bins for sorting, a trash bin, etc. We talked about moving her laundry basket in there because she hated waking up to seeing it in front of her bed each morning.
The point is she has options! Decluttering means you have so much freedom, so many choices. You get to make a space work FOR you.
BTW she *just* texted "It's very peaceful in here."
2. This weekend in my family was the first time in a LONG time where there was nothing on the calendar. LIKE NOT ONE THING. So, I proposed a leisure day at home. Let's be radical and not go out. Let's not run around and do all the things. Let's just take care of ourselves, each other, and our home--we've been so busy (good busy)--and it felt BLISSFUL to have a slow motion day together
I wish you peace in your home. And I can help you get there. Book a free discovery call to talk about your projects, your frustrating clutter hotspots, and how we can get you from chaos to calm.