A safe and healthy environment is one of the most important forms of self care. This Friday September 18th, I am kicking off a 10-Day DeClutter and Donate Challenge. Join me on Facebook (facebook.com/groups/selfcarewithsam) to participate. Here are some tips on how to cleanse your space and your life of clutter and unwanted baggage. 🧹Think about how less clutter can diffuse your anxiety. Remember that neatness can bring on calm. Envision how much lighter you'll feel after we let that shit go! 🧹Don't overthink it. Pick literally any room in your home, take a look around and toss! 🧹Here are some spaces and items to consider decluttering: closets, coats, shoes, underwear, clothes, kitchen pantry, attic, holiday decorations, basement, laundry area, your workspace/desk, books, side table drawers, junk drawers, appliances, cookware, kitchen gadgets, toys, trinkets, swimsuits, bathroom drawers and cabinets, expired medications, old sheets and towels, old paperwork, old junk mail, anything that does nothing but collect dust! 🧹We are releasing useless baggage. Eliminate items that no longer bring you joy or that you no longer have a use for. For me, if I haven't used it in a year, I send it on its way! 🧹If you can't part ways with something even though you think you should, do NOT shame yourself. If you think you might need it, set a time frame to revisit. If it's special for any reason, honor yourself by honoring that connection. 🧹 Grab a big box and place it near the main area of your home. Fill the box throughout the 10-day challenge and then donate. 🧹Remember there are plenty of people in need, so don't be so quick to toss your stuff in the trash. However, obviously there are some items that you should not donate, like broken items. 🧹Encourage your "roommates" to participate. Tell them about the challenge, why we're doing it, and have them add one item to the donate box or trash. 🧹Choose your donation partner. There are tons of local Facebook groups for recycling or passing on used items to your neighbors. For example I use the group Fair Lawn Freecycle constantly. Search Facebook by entering your town or county and add "free stuff" or "freecycle". You can post your items in the group and place on your front porch or curb for pick up once a taker is confirmed. If you're not comfortable giving your address, this is a not the choice for you.
Local shelters or food pantries. Be sure to contact them first to see what they are most in need of. If you donate something they don't need currently, it will likely end up in the trash anyway. Remember to discard any expired food.
I donate regularly to the Lupus Foundation and the Vietnam Veterans Foundation. If you have a decent sized donation (3+ boxes), you can schedule a pick up with the links below: https://lupuspickup.org/ http://www.vvapickup.org/ 🧹This is a BIG one! Use this mini meditation to release emotional waste.
Take five minutes to meditate on what you'd like to release. Sit in a comfortable position and draw your attention to your breath. Begin to notice and release tension in the body from the crown of your head down to your seat. Soften the eyes and send a soft gaze out over the nose or close the eyes totally. Take a few full breaths in and out through the nose. Begin to bring your attention to something that is currently causing you distress, whether it's a person, a life event, a relationship, or a major change. While still keeping aware of your breath, start to picture what specifically you would like to release. For example, releasing the need for approval you desire in regards to a family member or the fear and anxiety you feel around your children's virtual learning experience. Choose 1-3 words to describe the thought or emotion you'd like to let go off. Imagine the words scribbled on a piece of paper that is moving slowly away from you, drifting further and further until the words are no longer legible. Bring your attention back to only your breath. Inhale deeply through the nose and then exhale audibly through the mouth. Sigh it out. Repeat twice more and then open your eyes slowly.
Write down the words on a real piece of paper. Fold, crumble, or tear mindfully and send to the trash. You may choose to burn the paper as well (safely).
GOOD LUCK & HAPPY CLEANSING!! 🙏💖
