COVID Musings: For A Happier Life, Declutter Your Life And Count Your Blessings

Wow, I feel like it is safe to say that 2020 has been a wild ride so far. This year has been full of anxiety, fear, and uncertainty with the COVID-19 virus. The world came to a stop. We as humans thrive on routine and consistency. but when the foundations of what made our lives normal were pulled out from under us as we experienced new restrictions and were surrounded by fearful news feeds... well, the anxious energy just surged.

Adding fuel to the fire, flu season is just around the corner. There is still a good chance some of us will be needing to quarantine after feeling some symptoms surface in the near future. We will make it through this season. We just need to stay positive! A change in the world like this can really make you think about what really matters the most in life and what we once took for granted.

On a personal level, I recently experienced great loss after a devastating fire in my apartment. The fire destroyed everything! We had to throw out all of the burned furniture, a massive amount of clothes, and STUFF. Of course, when we were sorting through the wreckage we did attempt to save some meaningful trinkets. Those who know me well know that I was kind of a hoarder and I felt like I needed to squeeze every last bit of meaning and use out of all of my things. This fire left me devastated. But then I had a positive epiphany: I am blessed for the fact that all living things in my life were safe and well — my significant other, my family, my pets are all are okay. Material items are replaceable but my loved ones are priceless. And that fact was crystal clear.

When we find ourselves at home this flu season not feeling well and potentially quarantining to prevent the spread of COVID-19, let’s take this time to cleanse. I am talking about full cleanse and reset to re-evaluate our materials, our mindsets, and our overall health. I believe that taking time to check-in on ourselves and where we are at will help us be ready to take on any virus or stressor.

I am of the school of thought that every situation has a silver lining and that we can take a lesson away from anything we experience, positive or negative. What COVID is teaching us is how to slow down, and reevaluate our priorities and our lifestyles in the first place. Are you in the camp of people who can’t wait to get back to pre-COVID life? Or are you realizing that everything prior to this wasn’t as peachy as it seemed? Is it time to perhaps take off our rose-colored glasses and really see things clearly for the first time in a long while? If you follow my advice, you may find yourself unburdened from dead weight you hardly knew you’d been carrying!

Decluttering your home will give you something to do while at home and you will find so many things you hardly knew you had anymore! This will feel so good and productive when you have to be away from the office! Let go of the things that do not serve you anymore and give those things to others.
Let’s cleanse that mindset. Yes, this year has been full of negative news, viral fears (pun intended!), and restrictions. And you know what? It is okay to feel all sorts of helpless during a world pandemic. However, there are better ways of handling this situation at home. It's all about surrounding ourselves with the positives in every way possible to reshape our new and improved positive mindset. Yes, things are out of our control but we can learn to surrender and accept that. Let’s release our tension with some good music, positive media, and meditative breathing practices. COVID is affecting many areas of our lives and it’s hard not focus on the past or plan for the future…. but let's be here. Really here, right now, in the moment. Here’s some ways to remain present:
-Take time to sit or listen to your surroundings with some deep breaths (actively pushing your thoughts aside.) When you do this, your cluttered thoughts start to feel more focused, muscles start to release, and that sense of peace starts to make its way through.
-Practice positive self talk. Let's also focus on what is really important in our lives: our health and the love in our lives. We are blessed!
I also recommend a health cleanse. We tend to only realize the value of our health when we are sick. Little do we realize our taste buds bring us so much joy each day or that normal functioning sinuses really are a blessing. Prior to this topsy-turvy year, you probably didn’t think you would miss your ability to go outside, make a trip to the store, see people’s faces, let alone having human contact! Let's really start to value what we are putting into our body so it can fight these viruses at its optimal health. Let’s build resilience lest we get sick.

It's the little things that seem small and a given... and that turn out to be our greatest blessings. The love in our lives, the mindset we choose to have, and the health we are given are everything. Let’s reevaluate our lives and really start detaching emotionally from our material things. Let’s focus that energy on what really matters: the people we love and our health.