Generally speaking, I have a sparkling kitchen, a beautiful living room, a sweet office space. But round the corner, and into the bedroom is the closet. The closet with everything stuffed inside and a broken door that my boyfriend hasn’t helped me fix even after months of me asking (apparently, I am not asking at the right times), which hides all that is not sparkling, beautiful or sweet.
The closet is the bain of my existence, the clutter in my mind, the confusion in my heart and the physical proof of all my imperfections.
I hate my closet.
For a long time, I believed that a clean house represented a clear mind. Saturday mornings were a reverie to clear the countertops of crumbs, organize the papers next to the table, Windex the glass table, and vacuum up the dirt. Saturday mornings were my therapy, my habit and my consistency.
But sometimes I wonder if I’m trying to do too much, trying to show myself and the world just how okay – and clean – everything is. And I envy the people that can let go. Even just a bit.
I try to remind myself that the places I like to go and spend time in aren’t perfectly clean. They’re lived in and show their nicks and ignorance of dust. They smell of laughter, not bleach. They are places that show the tracks of groups and families and friends, not of a vacuum.
A clear mind is just empty. But a home with a blanket on the floor, dishes in the sink and papers strewn to the side is a show of an energetic mind, a cheerful mind, and a happy heart.
What do you think? Is a clean home the reflection of a clear mind? Do you clean or spend time with family to relax? Or is a clear mind and happy heart a mixture of both?
I know a lot of people may not believe in the whole idea of feng shui and such. But it does talk about having a clutter free house to allow the chi to flow correctly and not become stagnant, which, I know I notice when I’m done cleaning and having everything decluttered.
Funny you should mention that Rob, I often feel the same way! I studied design back in the day and didn’t really believe in feng shui until we visited a woman who practiced it. Her house was amazing and I could have stayed there the rest of my life :) Thanks for the comment!
My sister just moved in with my husband and I for a few months, and I have to say, I miss having my very own, clean office space where my mind could be clear and I could focus. That said, I’m not exactly a neat freak. I have my spaces that can get messy, and that works for me. But every once in a while I have to stop and declutter them, too… or the messy spaces start seeping out into the clean ones.
I clean because if I don’t, there’s twice as much to do next time and it makes me mad at myself. Also, decluttering is extra good for my mind. You never know what you’ve forgotten about until you declutter. Maybe a bill I missed paying, the missing tube of neosporin for my paper cut, or simply serendipity across the board. I have a horrible garage, which I tell myself is disgusting each morning and night as I leave and return. I REALLY need to declutter and clean out there!
I clean out my closets every now and then (when I move my summer and winter clothes in and out mostly), but I do reorder my clothes by color every weekend when I do laundry. This has been an enormous help for order and being able to choose my outfits much more easily. I’m sure I got that tip from you, Rebecca, in one of your Modite blogs. Thanks!
@ Tiffany – Oh, I do not like when people stay over at my place and while I always like entertaining, in my head I’m thinking, did they just touch that? Don’t sit there! And other silly things. I like that you have a good balance going on… thanks for sharing!
@ Linda – I agree, I love to declutter and find that it does help to clear the mind… as long as you don’t do it too much. Then it just becomes an excuse for not getting other things done. Thanks for sharing your tips!
Wah, so many clean people! I for one don’t spend much time cleaning, except for the occasional purge of everything. I figure if I’m spending time cleaning I’m not spending time using. I have a similar dilemma with my journal writing – I have an entry for pretty much every day for 13 years now and I’m at the point where I don’t know if spending all that time writing is worth the time I could be out living the things I’d write about.
I think there’s also a difference between clean and uncluttered. You can have a clean place that is cluttered, or you can have an uncluttered place that is not clean. So it’s not so much that it has to be empty if it’s clean. I do think less clutter helps clear the mind though. Fewer distractions. I opt for drawers and shelves and closets to contain it all!
On a day to day basis my house isn’t sparkling. That being said, I simply cannot go to bed leaving visible dirt anywhere – crumbs on the table, mud on the floor.
I will say that I am much happier and more relaxed when my house is really clean. If I can get up on a Saturday morning and clean my house like crazy, I will enjoy Saturday evening much more.
And I do think that there’s something to the Feng Shui element. If nothing else, getting rid of clutter is HUGE to me.
I think it’s a combo of both. I know I have a hard time relaxing with a mess around.
I definitely think that a clean home reflects a clear mind, but it’s a mixture of both. I like to think of the way I live is through a slight organized chaos. I have a drawer in my desk that has file folders of all important bills, pay stubs, registrations, etc. I know where everything is. However, if someone else went in that drawer they would say it was messy.
My home isn’t always sparkling clean but in general, I feel clear and organized when my house is clean. I can’t begin to work or get anything done when there’s clutter–everywhere.
@ Mary – Glad you’re the exception! :) And I get what you’re saying about clean vs. uncluttered – I can go awhile if everything is in it’s place but there is a little dust… but if there’s stuff everywhere? Forget about it.
@ Nicole – Visible dirt is bad, for sure. I often can’t function unless everything is just so as well, but have been trying to let go of that a little bit lately. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
@ OHmommy – I’m with you there – thanks for weighing in :)
@ Grace – Organized chaos, eh? I like it. I always organize daily at work and home so I can get things done properly. And having your own organization system is totally needed – ha.
I got some great advice one time; if you’re feeling overwhelmed, tidy a drawer.
If you’re like me, it’ll feel so good you’ll end up doing the whole room. It’s, I dunno.. empowering.
I believe, completely and utterly, that a neat, organised home – or even just your bedroom – can help you think clearer. Maybe it’s because of that satisfying, calming feeling of being in control?
Rebecca,
Just discovered your blog – a great read. Maybe this is art: cleaning. Nietzsche writes “Art is the proper task of life”. Art is expressed in many forms. I know I clean my house not because it’s dirty, but because when I clean I rearrange, I create. When I clean I make something that wasn’t there before. Like an artist, a mechanic, a builder I create when I clean. I see, first hand, the product of my work.
The art of creation (or cleaning).
[...] that you might use someday tend to just sit around the house. An organized home allows you to have a clear mind so that the next time you’re faced with an item that seems like a “must-have,” you’ll [...]