By Mandy Kendall

I’ve never been one to complain about sunshine, but recently I have been none too happy with the brilliant rays beaming through our windows highlighting all the dust that I have been ignoring throughout the winter. So I started doing some cleaning and that made me look at the spare bedroom that had become our “temporary” storage area when we recently moved. (Which is now two months ago!)

It’s amazing how quickly extra stuff becomes part of the furniture and you just don’t see it anymore. However, when you clear it out of the way you realize how much it was cluttering up your life and how liberating the space can be.

Mandy Kendall

We seem to be able to tolerate quite a bit before we decide things need to change, and it is often something quite insignificant (like dusty window sills) that is the catalyst that leads us to big changes.

This is the time of the year we tend to do some spring cleaning; so is there something taking up space in your house that’s been around for so long you don’t see it anymore (except maybe when you clean around it) and is no longer serving a purpose?

Are there things in your life that you unnecessarily tolerate? They may be small (a drawer that sticks for instance) but add a few of them together and they soon take up time and energy and distract from the flow of your day.

So what are you tolerating that could be changed? What else could you clear out of your life? Could we look a little deeper than our wardrobes and garages?

The clutter in our minds is often way more demoralizing than the stationary bike gathering dust. Unresolved issues or tolerances with other people or situations can take up a lot of mental energy and can cause us to become stuck, unable to move forward, or moving in a direction we don’t want to go.

• Be brutally honest with yourself — If you’ve not used something in the last 12 months chances are you’re not going to. If there is something in your life that is not moving you forward in the direction you want to go, perhaps that needs to go too.

• Take it one step at a time – De-cluttering your whole life in one go may be more overwhelming than anything. Take it one wardrobe, room or bad habit at a time.

• Think about what you would like to make room for — Deciding what you want to do with all this new space, energy, cash or attitude will be a great motivating factor in helping make it happen.

• Make a clean start — The act of cleaning something or clearing a space, cannot only improve how things flow in your physical space, it can also have a similar effect on how your mental and personal energy flows.

• Prioritize your de-cluttering — Decide on all the things you would like to clear out of your life (you know I’m going to suggest making a list don’t you) and start with some small tasks that you can complete easily to help boost that sense of achievement that will help spur you on to the larger issues.

• Take time to enjoy your hard work — Reward yourself for making these changes. Use the new found time to do something you really enjoy or celebrate your revitalized space with friends.

• Make it a habit — You will probably find that life will present you with more stuff to clutter up your life again. Try and schedule regular de-cluttering sessions. You don’t have to wait for spring.

Until next time.

Mandy Kendall operates Health Connective in South Lake Tahoe, which aligns wellness seekers with their ideal wellness provider. If you have questions, would like some advice, or would like to request some Qwik-e tips on any health and well-being topic, drop her an email at connect@healthconnective.com or keep an eye out on Lake Tahoe News for regular Qwik-e tips on how to make healthy changes one Quick and Easy step at a time.