Declutter yourself
Getting to a healthy weight isn’t just about dieting and exercise. Many things in your everyday life contribute to your weight and your health. Clutter is one of them. Whether it’s the clutter in your floor, in your head, or on your hips, all have a similar source and need to be dealt with.
Physical clutter
Is your clutter a result of trying to keep too many things? Things you don’t need, use or even want any longer? Have you ever thought about why you keep so many things? Sometimes people tend to hoard items that have sentimental value. Or perhaps you grew up poor and are afraid to throw anything away. Maybe there are gifts you don’t like, but you can’t give them away because someone you care about gave it to you.
I doesn’t matter WHY you’re keeping too much stuff. The important thing is that you think about why you’re keeping it. If you’re not sure, start throwing things away and listen to the mental “chatter” that goes on as you resist getting rid of your things. As you go through this exercise, you’ll start to get a better idea of why you’re having trouble getting rid of things.
You’ll hear yourself thinking things like
- I may need it
- It’s my favorite (shirt, skirt, shoes, etc.)
- My (friend, mother, husband, etc.) gave it to me, so I want to keep it
- My (friend, mother, husband, etc.) gave it to me, and I’ll hurt their feelings if I get rid of it
- I paid too much for it to get rid of it
Mental Clutter
Once you recognize why you’re plagued with physical clutter, think about how that affects you mentally, particularly with your weight. Do you hoard because you’re afraid you’ll be without them some day? Could that be a reason you overeat?
Or maybe you keep items for sentimental reasons, or because they were gifts. Do you eat to please others (socially). Of do you eat certain foods because they bring back memories or good feelings?
Here’s a big one… Do you fear the changes that decluttering may bring? Are you afraid of what your life will be like if you lose weight?
When you resist giving away clutter, use some of these techniques.
- If you haven’t needed it in the last year, you’re not likely to. Put them in a box, date the box for three more months if you feel you have to, and then throw the whole thing away when the time comes.
- Even favorite items stop being useful eventually. Get rid of it to make room for a new favorite.
- You don’t have to keep every item a loved one gives you. Choose only items that are really meaningful. Take photos of any others if you like.
- You don’t have to tell loved ones that you’ve gotten rid of one of their gifts, just quietly do so and don’t feel guilty about it.
- How much you paid for something doesn’t matter. The money is gone regardless, and if you don’t like it and aren’t using it, it’s clutter.
I tend to keep things for sentimental reasons, and that goes hand in hand with my emotional eating. I eat to comfort myself, particularly when I’m stressed, and I keep things around me that comfort me as well, often long past their usefulness.
Look around your house and think about how much you own and whether you’re hoarding or not. As you examine why you tend to keep things, you’ll get clues as to why you tend to gain weight. Working on one will often help you with the other.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Comments
2 Responses to “Declutter yourself”
Leave a Reply
I have a problem with clutter in my closet. I still have my “skinny” clothes that are out-dated, but I hope to fit in someday. A part of me is afraid of giving up my skinny clothes. It is evidence of my once skinny self. I think it is emotionally draining though to see them each time I open my closet. Maybe I will get rid of them the next time I get my stuff together for the Salvation Army.
[...] left an interesting comment to my recent post, Declutter Yourself, about keeping skinny [...]