Cleaning your space is an underrated way to ground yourself mentally, spiritually, physically and emotionally. The beautiful thing about tidying is that you can personalize the experience to your liking. To clean is to literally get your house in order -- to arrange things in a way that is conducive to your health. Your space is the foundation upon which all success is built.
Think about how you feel when your house is clean in comparison to how you feel when you look around and see clutter, disorganization, and a place that lacks tidiness. Humans tend to be visual and this fact should remind us that what we see is what our minds consume. If your space is clean your mind is clean.
When I think about grounding I associate it with gardening. In order for anything to grow, a gardener must first tend to the soil - the root of the matter. A clean mental space is fertile ground for creativity, positive thinking, and love. A messy space makes it harder for the brain to focus on what matters because the brain is using excess energy processing things that are unnecessary. Being grounded is all about bringing stability to the mind.
Where do you begin with cleaning?
Just like with anything else proper preparation is a recipe for success. It’s helpful to plan to clean with a goal in mind. In this case the goal is to feel grounded and present.
With this intention in mind create a timeline of how long you want to clean for. Remember that you don’t want to overwhelm yourself because the goal here is to create a foundation for all other aspects of your life. If you’re cleaning all day where is the time for your other facets of life?
2. Clean with structure. Start with one room and don’t move on until that room is cleaned. Start off by first throwing trash away. Don’t move on to organizing until all the trash is thrown out.
3. Organize. Put everything back in its proper place. Your future self will thank you when you need to find your keys and it’s hung up in a go to spot. The less you have to think about the better.
4. Finish cleaning with your space with a nice scent. Scent and psychology are real. Certain scents, like lavender or nag champa incense, are soothing to the brain and will bring you into a positive state of well being.
5. As an extra, sit in your favorite part of your space and just look around, meditate and notice how you feel. You may notice that you feel calm, level-headed and secure.
Use cleaning as a practice and gentle reminder that you can always come back to yourself.
What personal touches do you incorporate when you tidy?
How does cleaning affect your emotional well-being?