Your Daily Brush: Declutter Your Glacier
Our lives can be like glaciers, accumulating things as we move forward in time. What is one thing that you can give way, recycle or discard in the service of your mental hygiene?
Dear Friends,
Glaciers are such fascinating structures. They are powerful, massive, and definitely awe-inspiring.
But did you know that as glaciers advance, they can literally incorporate inside of them, whatever is in their way? As they move forward across time, they pick up and incorporate whatever is in their path: plants, animals, rocks, and debris. There is even the famous case of Ötzi the Alpine man whose body was trapped in a glacier for a few thousand years.
Like glaciers, our lives are constantly moving forward, and in doing so, we gather things along the way.
Your life is as unique and magnificent as a glacier in the heights of the Alps (or any other mountain range for that matter.) As part of advancing your mental hygiene, it might be worthwhile to periodically pause and look at what you have accumulated over time that you can possibly remove.
I am not referring to things that hold meaning; not precious gifts from friends, nor your child or grandchild’s drawings. No, not your favorite book or even the faded cartoon clipping attached to your fridge by a magnet.
I am talking about things that we might hold on to because they are potentially useful. For instance, might you be holding on to a pair of torn underwear or holey socks because they will make a good cleaning rag one day…you know, the kind that is perfect for wiping dust off furniture or removing fingerprints on glass?
Is something in good condition but no longer of use to you? Clothes or shoes that no longer fit? Surely there is someone else in the world who can use them. Books that you no longer read that can bring joy to others?
You get the idea.
Our physical environments exert an effect on our psyches. This can be for the good, and it can also have a detrimental effect.
One way to tackle decluttering the glacier of your life is to think not in terms of getting rid of things but to think instead of the gains: More calm in your environment. More peace. And the good feeling that comes from giving something away that another person needs.
Rx: First, marvel at the unique glacier of your life. Sit for a moment and take in the good feelings as you think about past challenges that you have successfully overcome.
Then do an audit and choose one or two things that you can immediately give away, recycle, or throw out. And follow that up with a sense of accomplishment, because in doing so, you have just taken another step to advance your mental hygiene!
To your health!
