It is no surprise that so many of us are embracing movements of minimalism, decluttering, and organization, especially in our homes. It reflects that need for peace and order in what feels like a chaotic world. The idea that external clutter and internal chaos go hand in hand is not new. Promotion of simple living can be traced to different cultures and times. The human desire to have peace is as timeless as the notion that to find calm within, we must have order without.
Clutter is a constant stimulus to our senses that causes us to be confused, overwhelmed, stressed, and frustrated. Clutter distracts our focus by drawing our attention away. It tells our brains that there is still more that needs to be done, preventing us from relaxing and resting. A lack of rest increases our anxiety and frustration. All of this clouds our focus and purpose.
Our clutter is more than just the physical confusion of our environment.
Today more than ever, the real clutter in our lives exists in our virtual environment. It is the clutter of apps, alerts, messages, texts, emails, news bytes, social media and so much more. It seems like an endless barrage of “stuff” coming at us. Stuff that tells our brains there is yet one more thing to evaluate and do – our work is not done! The non-stop feeling that there is more to do can often take us on a rollercoaster of emotions. We feel like we are drowning under an endless wave of to-do and more to do. The feeling of having our heads underwater leads to an instinct to survive, instead of the comfort of living with purpose.
My mind is in chaos because of the clutter of my virtual environment. So what is the easiest thing to do? Numb the brain!
I must confess my brain numbing comes in various forms – one more YouTube video on planning systems (my planner crack!), one more attempt at winning a Free Cell (those card games taunt me!), one more minute on social media (I don’t want to miss something big!). I give myself these time outs convinced it is the little break I need to come back re-focused and re-energized. It never is.
Having peace by definition means the absence of all that is not peaceful. Simple, right?
Eliminating all that does not bring peace is hard – maybe impossible! I would argue that even those living alone in the wilderness can not remove all that is not peaceful. As Mama Bears, our lives are complicated and complex, and full, and chaotic. As much as we attempt, we can not discard all that will come at us in this role and season of life.
As a child, my mother used to tell me to stop carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. This usually came after my long winded rampage at some injustice at some point in human history. In hindsight, I see how she desperately wanted me not to be cluttered down by things that were so far out of my control or influence. This is not to say that we put the blinders on and ignore anything beyond our immediate surrounding. But instead, the acknowledgment that we do nothing when we try to do it all. When we take our heart, mind, and body and spread it so thin that we start to fray, we are not kind to ourselves or others.
There are days that I am crystal clear on my purpose, and other days I want to cleanse my soul with a good cry because I feel torn in so many different directions and overwhelmed at all the negative news. News that takes me to the edge of despair because I want to make the world a better place. I feel pulled to every corner of the world, wishing I could fix things, bring order, bring calm. Oh but to be able to bring that same peace to the world that we feel when we sort, clean, and simplify our homes.
Jesus didn’t do it all, and neither can you!
During his years of ministry Jesus didn’t travel to all corners of the earth, he didn’t heal all sick people, he changed somethings, but he didn’t change everything. So why on God’s good earth would we think we should? This isn’t because Jesus was lacking in the electronic feeds necessary to know what all was going on. This was because Jesus was in relationship with God the Father, always, and he knew his purpose. He knew what was asked of him. He knew.
Do you know?
I believe that we are all called to a unique, individual, and particular purpose while we are on this side of the grave. A purpose, that when clear, burns brighter than a thousand suns – warming our hearts, guiding our path, bringing light to every corner of our lives. Jesus had that, and we crave it. Some of us are called to go out, far from home, and touch the lives of people around the world. Some of us are called to affect the lives of those immediately around us. Each of us is uniquely made in His image with our own purpose. A purpose that we find not in the clutter and chaos, but in the quiet.
How to avoid internal chaos?
I can testify that distracting and numbing yourself through “virtual entertainment” is a fleeting moment that will usually be followed by increased frustration when you realize the time and energy wasted. I can also testify that we do need to step back and away from the virtual clutter that is thrown at us every moment of every day. We need to take that time to not only find our purpose but actually to live our mission. Here are a few ideas that have worked for me when I stick to them. Yes, sometimes I fall off the bandwagon and need to find my way back.
- Check out by checking in.
- Start each day in quiet prayer. It is a great way to stay connected with God, and seek clarity in our purpose, whether that be a more significant purpose in life or simply guidance to manage the day ahead.
- Throughout the day continue to pray for the wisdom and direction you need.
- End your day in gratitude. An attitude of gratitude brings the rest we need to go out and conquer the next day.
- Eliminate virtual clutter.
- Unsubscribe to emails and mailing lists that clutter your inbox. If you find yourself deleting them unopened, they definitely don’t need to be there.
- Unfollow groups, pages, and people in your social media. Use your social media to stay in touch with those people and things that really matter, and eliminate the rest. It is easy to get sucked into following more and more, resist the urge! Go for quality and not quantity.
- Turn off alerts that are unnecessary. We are moms, being wholly disconnected all the time is not realistic for most of us. However, we don’t need to see every news alert pop up on our screens throughout the days. Limit the alerts to only those that require you to take action.
- Purge your apps. For some of us, this is the hardest step! Remove apps that serve only to tempt you into wasting your time and energy. Your device is meant to enhance your life, not waste it.
- Limit your time in the virtual world.
- Block off time for your e-life. Set time aside when you will check your email and social media, and then turn it off. You need to control it, and not the other way around. Setting time will limit the temptation to be continuously connected, and you’d be surprised at how much time you find in your day!
- Set screen-free times too! Block time off to be away from all devices, and use that time for something that will nourish your mind, heart or body – exercise, craft, read. There is so much to do!
The peace we crave is both internal and external. We can do our best to maintain our homes to be uncluttered, but if we don’t declutter what comes into our hearts and minds, we will never achieve the peace, clarity, and purpose that we seek.
xoxo
Catherine