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Emotionally, Mentally, and Physically

Making space means more than cleaning out your closet or selling a few broken toys or worn-out sweatshirts at a yard sale. Now, it’s still important to rid your living space of clutter, so don’t get attached to Grandma’s end table. But for our purposes, making space also refers to inner space.

That’s where you start. Out with the old, in with the new.

Making space will give you room for more of what you want. While you’re de-junking your environment, grab a shovel and dig out of the mind clutter you’ve been hanging onto. It’s been weighing you down, and the time has come to get over it. Clear your mind and focus on the tasks at hand—like taking the first steps to fulfilling that dream of yours.

Now, I’m not totally without sympathy. It’s super easy to become snowed under by life. It can feel like falling into a deep hole you’ll never get out of.

Seriously, think about everything you do in a single day.

If you tracked every task you completed from the time you roll out of bed until you turn off the lights at night, you’d probably be shocked by how much you actually do. You’d also probably wonder how the heck you manage to get all of it done.

Well, when you sometimes get it all done.

Sometimes you don’t.

Those don’ts can add up and be right there staring you in the face the next day. What happens? Your list gets longer and the stress mounts. All that unfinished business leads to one thing…CHAOS!

Craving Alone Time?

Want to know a secret? I’m going to tell you something a lot of moms feel guilty admitting. (Not me.)

I LOVE my alone time. And I don’t always get enough—do you?

Some of us crave solitude, but in today’s world, it’s hard to get away from people. I am not just talking about Facetime. Between our cell phones, texting, email, and other forms of communication, there’s nowhere to hide.

Remember what happened to me. Technology seems to be taking up more space every day, and in the process, pushing us out of the way. All those devices and apps converge to make things tighter.

Who’s da boss? You. MAKE SPACE!

Make Space for Wellness

Wellness involves more than a yearly physical. It’s also more than exercising and eating healthy. Mental and emotional stability are just as important, and clearing your mind is an important aspect of mental balance.

I come from a holistic viewpoint that takes into account mental and social factors, rather than just the surface definitions of wellness. When you MAKE SPACE in your life and think positively, your emotions are more likely to respond in kind.

How do you make space? Here are a few suggestions.

ABOUT THAT CLOSET….

Not ready to tackle this topic yet? Okay, forget the closet for now.

Let’s begin with something you’re less attached to: the junk drawer.

Almost everybody has a junk drawer, right? What’s in yours? There might be tools, tape, matches, batteries, and things you might need at some point. There might also be paper clips, hair ties, and old sticks of gum. Junk drawers are the place you throw things that have no home.

Be honest with yourself. Some of that stuff can go straight into the trash, right? “I might need it some day” is an excuse for holding on. All it does is complicate your life.

Pick a day to tackle the junk drawer. Empty it completely and throw away anything you’ve mentally labeled, “Things I might need some day.” If you haven’t used an item in six months, toss it!

Okay, Time’s Up! About That Closet

Time to breathe. This one can be tough. Our closets are sacred! We can be attached to the contents. Hey, I know people who’ve kept clothes in their wardrobes for a decade or more. They keep shopping and stuffing in new clothes, and pretty soon they can’t find anything.

I have a little empathy. I’m the first one to shop for new clothes and accessories. But I also pass things along if I’m not using them.

Just as you did with the junk drawer, pick a day to deal with your closet. Before you begin, set ground rules and promise to honor them. Work with a friend who will hold you to the mark. Prioritize and then decide what to keep and what to give away.

Dig in! You never know what you’re going to find. I know someone who was brave enough to exhume the dead weight from the back of her closet, and you know what ended up in the giveaway box? Her $2,000 wedding gown. She’d been married twenty years, and there was no reason to keep it other than sentimentality.

She said she remembered how much fun she’d had playing dress-up as a kid, and since she had no daughters, she gave the dress to Goodwill. The thought of some young woman feeling like a princess had more value to my friend than hanging onto a memory.

So, take a deep breath…and purge!

MAKE SPACE IN YOUR INBOX

Are you an email hoarder? If you have Gmail, you’ve found the email hoarder’s best friend. Gmail has a super huge storage capacity for years of emails. And if you use it up, for $1.95 a month you can buy more. Yep, an email hoarder’s dream come true.

It might be tempting to hold on to emails in case you want to refer to them in the future, but think of your inbox as a virtual junk drawer. Muster your courage…MAKE SPACE!

Read it, file it, or trash it.

LIMIT SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT

It’s easy to get lost in social networks—just like shopping. You might run into the market for apples and come out thirty minutes later with two gallons of juice and a bag of veggies. If you’re hungry, maybe three!

My point is this: whether your go-to faves are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest, you can get totally lost and forget what you visited for. It’s easy to lose track of time perusing social media.

I know you know what I’m talking about. Have you ever logged onto Facebook to check your notifications and then come out of a trance realizing forty minutes have passed? You can waste hours meandering around groups and websites and cluttering your mind.

If this happens to you often, set limits. Set an alarm when you go online. It’ll make you aware of the passage of time. And don’t hit the snooze button!

When it comes to surfing the internet, watching YouTube, or burying your face in your Facebook newsfeed, self-discipline is your only salvation.

Release Negative Emotions

Holding on to negativity takes up emotional space. Why carry your pain around? Make space by releasing negative emotions such as bitterness, anger, and resentment.

Resentment is super toxic. It’s the process of repetitively replaying feelings of anger or rewinding mind-movies of events that brought the negativity about in the first place. By doing so, you force yourself to relive experiences emotionally, mentally, and even physically.

Regardless of whether you are hurt or angry, allowing the actions of another to occupy your heart and mind only hurts you. The only way out is to release. It may seem as though you’re doing it for the other person, but you’re actually doing it for yourself.

FORGIVENESS

The word forgive doesn’t mean “let the other guy off the hook” or “sweep it under the carpet.” It could mean, “bury the hatchet,” but not in the other person’s back, of course!

“Forgive” actually translates as “to free.” The Greek translation means “to let go.” Letting go frees emotional space and it comes with HUGE health benefits as well.

Begin by forgiving yourself.

Whether we’re aware of it or not, we all hold onto resentment toward ourselves for our own mistakes, certain behaviors, and slip-ups we make.

Subconsciously, resentments set off a chain reaction. First, they cause us to judge ourselves harshly, and then that judgment calls for punishment. These judgments are often the source of feelings of being undeserving and self-sabotage. Self-sabotage can affect everything you do for the rest of your life—unless you deal with it.

Let go!

Regardless of what has happened to you, whether by your own hand or that of someone else, release it. Don’t let anger occupy space in your heart or head.

The value of making space in your life extends far beyond the space itself. When you release, let go, and move on, you open up more of what the good life offers. Make space for life, love, and happiness!