Unclutter Life

Posted on May 07, 2020 by Nidhi Agrawal (Co-founder, Director & Trainer)

"Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."

~Albert Einstein

There was a time, about four years back, when my life was cluttered. I had too much stuff and with the human tendency to love abundance, the clutter kept on increasing, hindering my growth and filling my mind and space with things that I coveted but did not need. During a period of counselling I was told that to be happy I must adopt a habit of living with a minimalist attitude…the art of managing with less, understanding that filling your life with material items will never bring true fulfillment but actually invite chaos and disorder in your lives.

Would you believe me if I told you that getting rid of the extras in your house will actually make you happier? It’s a simple funda…….less clutter, more organization. Less stress, more time. Less debt, more freedom. Less discontent, more intention. Television ads, hoardings bombard us with tempting visuals asking us to buy the newest products to make your teeth whiter, your laundry fresher, and your phone faster, the jeans that Kohli wears, but all these things have to be kept somewhere in your house that is not getting any bigger. Mind you those piles of clutter aren’t only in your way; they’re weighing on your mind as well. They represent chores to do, goals to meet, and decisions to make. They take up space in your home and your day, without moving you towards your most productive, happy life.

We must learn the art of downsizing and de-cluttering our lives. When you clear the excess clutter out of your life you will notice the positive effects it has on your mental state and overall wellness. Liberate yourself from all the stuff that is cluttering up your mental and physical space. Start by getting rid of things that you obviously don’t need - old magazines and books, clothes that you no longer wear, wall hangings that you now find boring and utensils and crockery that have outlived their utility. Get obsessed with the idea of managing with less.

Trust me when I say that you can live in a tiny house and get rid of more than 75% of all your possessions and yet live happy contended lives. When you make your way through your physical clutter, you will release emotional and spiritual clutter too. You will start to feel lighter, freer and more empowered. You will realize that what you were living in was not a home but a cage and you have at last found the key to freedom.

You may no longer have a hundred books on your shelf but the ones that are there are your absolute favourites. You may not have all the photographs that you have taken but the ones that you have decided to retain are special, poignant and carry a special memory. There are thousands of people who live with much less than us because they do not have the option. Owing to their limited finances they don’t even have a choice. Their choice is directed by poverty, your choice should be directed by efficiency. Thanks to you, now someone who did not have a blanket or a quilt has got one now because you decided to part with the extra one that you had. Decluttering is not only about removing the things that you do not need it is about discovering how little you actually need.