Cleaning out the sock drawer of your mind
Updated: Oct 10, 2018
for me, having physical clutter and mess, went along with having mental clutter and mess.
I'm not suggesting here that people with spotless houses have it all sorted, I know this to be not to be true in all cases based on experience. But, for me, having physical clutter and mess, went along with having mental clutter and mess. The pile of books and papers by my bed will attest to the fact that I have by no means reached tidy nirvana, but I am on the road, and it all started, with the sock drawer.
I heard a podcast with a lady called Shira Gill, who coaches people though the mess in their physical spaces like their homes and offices. She said that when people realised it was time for a tidy change, they would look at their homes and realise that they were overwhelmed with stuff. In order to keep them sane, she had them do one thing, just clean out their sock drawer. Listeners were invited to join in and to clean up one small area in their home while listening to the podcast. She recommended starting with the sock drawer.
Man was there some crap in my sock drawer; broken hangers, bits of paper, bags with assorted receipts, safety pins, some hair curlers and the occasional pair of socks! The curious thing was, until I started clearing it out that day, I hadn’t realised that my sock drawer had created a mild anxiety every single time I opened it. How could I not have realised? The answer was that I hadn't tuned into how the mess was making me feel. I was opening the shutting the drawer as fast as possible and ignoring the frustration I felt every time I couldn't find what I needed.
My sock drawer is now a joy to behold and it 2 months later, I'm keeping it up. If this has inspired you to get cleaning out, here are some tips:-
1) Pick one small space in your home and reclaim it! Set a timer for 30 mins and clean it out.
2) Know that keeping things clean takes daily maintenance; it isn’t a do once then forget job. Just like learning to work on your mind, it requires daily practice to keep the cobwebs from returning.
3) It saves time! Never pick out a pair tights with holes in again.
4) As you are cleaning out your sock drawer, ask yourself this question - Do I keep putting things back in the drawer of my mind which should not be there? Like thoughts that provoke anxiety each time you open them? If yes, commit to examining those thoughts to see if you really want to keep them.
You can reclaim the space in your mind, and cleaning out your sock drawer is a great place to start.