The Urge To Purge

Been hit by the cleaning fairy lately? Yeah, me too. Fall is usually the time I feel compelled to purge my home of anything that doesn’t match my energy and no longer fits into my home and/or life. This includes old pictures, letters, unfinished writings and other useless crap I’ve accumulated over time. I guess Fall is coming a little early for me this year because I feel like the cleaning fairy is using me as a ball for her batting practice. I’m getting nailed left and right with the urge to purge.

It’s not just me though. Family, friends and clients have contacted me with their stories and they all seem to sound the same, “Oh my God I had to clean and I found this old artifact from my past so I decided to strip my house of all the crap!” It’s different for me though. I got rid of most of the stuff from my past when I moved into this home. Everything, but my couch. My boyfriend, on the other hand, has yet to go through a few of his boxes that have reminants of his ex-wife. I let him know and he was horrified, so I guess he’ll be joining us pretty soon.
My big thing this week was getting rid of the girls’ old toys and turning their playroom into a work-out room. That will be Dave’s special place. The other project I took on was creating a more spiritual home office for myself. I’ve had this gigantic space since March with nothing but my computer and an old wardrobe in it. So yesterday we purged the playroom and I fixed up my office. Boy, does it feel incredible! The energy is completely different and more condusive to my own. Every time I enter this room, I feel invigorated, motivated and happy. Yes, happy. That’s how you know the purge was a success.

Why Do We Have The Urge To Purge? When the urge comes on strong, out of nowhere, it’s time to pay attention to your current surroundings. Is this your dream room or home? Does it look the way you want it to? Do you have what you really want from life? If the answer is “no”, then it’s time to chuck all the stuff that doesn’t feel right anymore. Generally the purge is meant to clear out the old to make room for the new. This can also represent an impending life change.
Most of the time, our homes are a representation of how we feel about ourselves in some way. If you have accumulated a lot of clutter, most likely the issue is a problem with letting go. If your space is practically empty, that is how you’re feeling inside (or just like the open space). If you are in between those two examples, you are probably more balanced, but still could use a splash of inspiration or an upgrade. We all need to polish up our personal spaces from time to time. If you’re living with others and the problem is their clutter, it’s time to have a little chat.

Children have a tendency to take after one or both parents. If you have a messy child who (no matter what you do) won’t clean up their act, it’s time to get to the root of the problem. Most likely, their disorganization and “I could care less” attitude is some reflection of what’s going on inside the home and/or an emotional imbalance. If you’ve got a neat freak on your hands, they probably feel like they have to be perfect, have to be in control and/or care too much about what other people think of them. The reason for both examples could be as simple as them reacting to their environment and following in their parents’ footsteps.
Items that no longer serve a purpose can block your opportunities for growth and change, especially things from the past. Each item you get rid of should be something you really don’t use, don’t need and don’t like to look at. If it reminds you of something negative, it has to go immediately. When you get rid of that item, you’re releasing old energy that’s been suffocating you and perhaps affecting your moods. Your home should only have things that satisfy your true desires and needs.

A List Of Things To Get Rid Of…

Even though the purge is self-explanatory, I decided to offer up a short list of things to get rid of as a guideline.
* Photographs of yourself and others that represents a bad time in your life
* Letters and/or journals that reflect frustration, unhappiness and your old self
* Computer files (including MP3’s)
* Furniture pieces that doesn’t fit your vision
* Clothes/shoes that no longer fit or will never wear again
* Checkbooks that have an old address/ex-partner’s name
* Home décor that makes you feel icky
* Old make-up/hair products
* Books you won’t ever read again
* Electronics/kitchen appliances that aren’t in use
* Empty boxes
* Old bills

Sometimes we think “this one thing” should have a home in our space, but it may be the ONE thing that stinks up the atmosphere. Also, make sure you go over your space with fine tooth comb when you believe the purge is over. You never know what could be lurking behind that dresser of yours, *wink*.