One thing I have found a lot in the holidays is that one thing that gets on top of how I am feeling is the sheer amount of things we seem to have floating around the house with two five year olds. To be fair, it's probably better in a way than it was a few years ago when we had lots of big bulky things like a huge play pen, two high chairs and two bouncy chairs...but as they get older we seem to have a mix of lots of bigger toys and toys with what feels like squillions of teensy bits. And then of course there are the magazines that the boys love which come with a free gift that also needs a home until it can be quietly tucked away...
Selfcare in a family is a balancing act, I am finding, between the needs of all the members of the family. The boys love having their precious things. I love having a tidyish house. I wouldn't say I was particularly houseproud but having too much stuff especially when it is all over the place, can start to grate on me and make me more aware of other things which are upsetting me on a subliminal level!
So part of my summer selfcare has been to
Declutter for Calm
Decluttering for calm has been a practice of not only tidying but looking at what we need. Removing the things which are broken or tatty. Making space for new good things to come in to us by removing the things that we have grown out of or do not use. It's funny that our tastes can change, even as adults and what we once thought that we really needed we can easily let go of at the right time.
There is always a phase of course when having a huge tidy out where it looks worse before it looks better. Especially if you are like us and you think it is a great idea to simultaneously tidy up three different rooms (hint: it really isn't!!!).
I find it therapeutic having a clear out and a change around. My husband says I find it cathartic and I'm sure that's a little true. This time we got the boys involved in moving the room around and saying what they thought they didn't need any more or what was broken and could be thrown away. I think it's good for them to see things need to move on and I'm sure they think it's good that there may be more room for new toys!
I do love the feeling when you're all done for the day and everything is in a new place, lots of tatty things are in the bin and you've even managed a little bit of cleaning too! We have a larger job to do of cleaning out the attic but that is definitely a job for another day!
I'd love to hear how you feel about decluttering - leave me a comment about if it makes you feel calmer and how you involve those around you to get the job done.
PS - Of course it doesn't stay like that so part of selfcare is also letting go of how it needs to be all day!