Does tidying up and decluttering truly set you free?

Does tidying up and decluttering truly set you free?

This question is a powerful one. Something that many professionals and experts in the field suggest is the outcome of decluttering. However, is that true? Does tidying up and decluttering truly set you free?

For those looking for a comforting promise, my answer may be discouraging or frustrating. We are a culture looking for assurances and guarantees. 

We have come to believe that all we need to do is to take specific action steps and the promised goal is ours. Such as take this pill and you’ll feel better. Have a headache, depression, or stomach upset, here’s the answer. Clean up your home and all will be well.

Like magic. You’ll be happier, healthier, and set free.

I don’t know about you, but that has not been my experience. In many things in life, I took all the right steps, followed the suggested protocols, shifted my mindset, and let go of lots of stuff. And yet, my life was not magically transformed.

Did it help? Most assuredly. I do not wish to discourage anyone from clearing out excess from their lives and homes. It does make a difference. It does shift energy. It does bring an openness where none existed before.

However, whether it sets you free depends on the reasons you decided to declutter and tidy up in the first place. And, what you focused upon to let go.

Did you decide to do it because it was expected of you? Maybe because you read a book or watched a documentary that made you believe your life would be better if you did? Was it supposed to be a solution to a problem? Or, possibly you were guilted, badgered, or shamed into it?

What was your real reason? What was the “why” behind it all?

For me, the reason changed and deepened over time. Initially, I did so because all that stuff I wasn’t using felt suffocating. I couldn’t breathe. The closets, garage and my home were well organized, clean, and tidy, yet full of stuff.

I wondered why I felt suffocated by it all? “What was the big deal,” I would say to myself, “if things were neat and tidy why bother to change it?”

It wasn’t long before the deeper reason came clear. My motivation to release stuff, obligations, relationships, and commitments suddenly were more important than ever before.

It wasn’t because I was going to move, although at one point my husband and I considered it. It wasn’t because we were having new carpeting put in throughout the house, although with less stuff that task was a breeze.

It certainly made life easier when we were in lockdown from the pandemic. However, that wasn’t what it turned out to be either.

What did it turn out to be? 

The best decision and action my husband and I ever did to support us through my journey with cancer. Who knew that the years we spent releasing were going to be, for us, true freedom.

With so much put upon my husband’s shoulders … taking care of me, handling the household, shopping for and making meals, caring for our dog, and managing his clients … having less stuff and obligations, freed him up to focus upon what was truly important. Which for both of us, was our peace of mind and wellness.

It helped me relax and let go of any expectations I had for myself to take care of things. To manage aspects of our life, home, and businesses. And, to be able to focus upon my recovery. To rest and restore so my body could heal.

You see, clutter and excess stuff piling up make me fretful. I have a tendency to then forget my own self-care to handle the stuff. Which also relates to commitments and obligations. Say yes to too many of those, and it’s as suffocating as excess!

Life suddenly was so much more peaceful. There was so much less to handle or manage. Plenty of open space to breathe. And, yes freedom to relax, restore, and rejuvenate.

So, let’s get back to the original question? Does it set you free? It depends. There is no magic to the answer. It always comes back to you.