Decluttering

This is always an interesting time of year. In our household, January means new year, time to declutter.

We run a bit ahead of schedule in general, so this “spring cleaning” is about on track. I try to go through the entire house, closets and all to see what we haven’t used in the past year and what can be discarded and donated. It’s a cathartic, challenging ritual, and I feel better every time I do it.

In a broader sense, decluttering is a reorganization of my life. January is a great time to begin new things, set intentions, and start fresh. It is also a great time to reflect on what non-physical things are not serving me. Habits, routines, activities. In the COVID era, this is a bit different, but I’m still surprised every time I walk into the city and see people rushing around in and out of stores or driving. Where is the hurry? Especially now? What is so important that you have to be there right away? Maybe the entire pandemic experience has gotten me to reevaluate fast and slow. I already led a slow life in a sense, low-waste, making things from scratch, spending my time only where it bings me happiness, now it has gotten slower. But why even work myself up into a frenzy anymore?

Time feels much more expansive with less things filling up my schedule. I’ve even found my attention can be held longer and better, I’m less worried about appointments or meeting people, because I basically don’t do that anymore. I’ve been perpetually early my entire life, always arriving before a designated time, so this is big for me. But also, I’m focusing on my middle, on myself. I’m not letting everything pull me off center as I did before. While I keep my center solid, my family and home life, everything else moves around me, rather than me swaying wildly to each side, front and back, getting stressed by work and appointments and getting from place to place. I have the privileged opportunity to stay put and take life slowly, so I’m leaning into that while I can.

Originally published February 23, 2021