Forget the spa! Vacuum. Garden. Clean out your fridge. Here’s how to use housework and other everyday tasks to soothe your soul.
“What a blessed gift that we can release our intangible frustrations, sorrows, and confusion through physical effort. We can walk them off, run them off, crochet them off, knead them off, dig them into the garden soil. A clearing, a cleaning, a weeding, a sorting, a de-wrinkling of what is before us and what is within us.”
~ Lisa Bronner in Soap & Soul
As much as we want to, there is a lot we can’t singlehandedly or immediately change. War. Climate change. ICE behaving atrociously. Gas prices. UFC fights on the White House lawn.
First of all, let’s be compassionate with ourselves. It’s no wonder so many of us are feeling overwhelmed. In addition to whatever we’re experiencing personally, there’s also so much we’re seeing in the news to empathize with and worry about.
Next, let’s remember: cleaning is therapy. Clutter clearing is life changing. Gardening has magical healing powers.
Certainly, by all means, vote! Protest! Call your representatives. But also, take some time off from carrying the weight of the world. Narrow your focus. Zero in on your own personal space. And care for it with meticulous attention and love.
(It really will transform your outlook and mood.)
Here are some perfect places to start, along with inspiration for how to do so mindfully.
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Clear Some Clutter
Choose one finite (read: non-overwhelming) place in your home to clear. Like your refrigerator, closet, or medicine cabinet. Play some music. Light some incense or diffuse some essential oil if you’re into that sort of thing. Take a deep breath. And get to it.
I like to take everything out first. Maybe not everything, but everything from a single shelf or drawer. Or, sometimes (if I’m in a certain mood), I really do take everything out. Like, a whole closet or fridge. Then, I like to give the newly blank slate a nice dust and wipe, and maybe even cleanse the energy with a little sage or incense smoke.
Next, I take a moment with each thing to decide: do I keep it? Do I give it away or recycle it? Or do I throw it out? (Of course, I designate piles, bags, boxes, or bins for each option as needed. Or, if I want to keep it, I put it right back in, possibly devising a new organizing strategy as I go.)
If you’re anything like me, once you begin, you will get into a zone and lose track of time. This, my friends, is when the magic happens.
Why do you think I am obsessed with clutter clearing? Because (much like Bob Marley feels about music) one good thing about clutter clearing? When it hits, you feel no pain.
Not only do you feel no pain during clutter clearing, you also feel exhilaration after clutter clearing. You feel empowered, confident, proud of yourself. And somehow, in the days and weeks after clutter clearing, something about your relationship with time shifts and you magically have way more time in the day.
I’m not pretending to understand it, I’m just reporting the facts. (If you don’t believe me, try it.)
Clean for the Joy of It
Anyone can clean a house to get a house clean. But cleaning for the joy of it? That’s a skill. And it’s one worth honing.
It helps to assemble your cleaning tools first. Have your bag of rags and your bag (or basket) of cleaners. Also get your vacuum, broom, and dusters ready to go.
Play some music if you’d like.
Take three long, deep breaths. Set the intention to clean for the joy of it. Then get going.
Notice the lovely scents of your cleaners and be excited to bring out the natural beauty of your home. Conjure up gratitude for everything you dust and sweep and wipe. Feel and know that you are calling in happiness and creating the space for love.
artfully Cook or Bake
Every meal and treat is an opportunity to savor life. It’s okay that we sometimes forget this. But when you remember it as you cook or bake, the food tastes so much better.
What sounds delicious to you? What do you know will be a delight to eat? Gather the ingredients. Mindfully prepare your food. Bless it. Maybe share it. And enjoy.
Care for Your Plants
When you garden or tend to your houseplants, connect with the spirit of each plant. Appreciate its plant-hood. Ask it what it needs and what will help it to thrive.
When I moved into the house I live in now, I inherited roses from the previous occupant. Roses are fussy. You have to look closely at them to see how they are feeling, what they are hungry for, and what type of beauty treatments they need.
Before I had any success with this responsibility, it felt like a burden. Now, it feels like a favorite hobby. The roses don’t take time; they offer it.
Walk the Dog or Play with the Cat
Looking at your phone is so deadening. Looking at a cat or dog, in three dimensions, is so enlivening. Interacting with them? Walking them, petting them, playing with them? Even better!
Have you ever had a pet who died? I have. And now, when I spend time with my cat who is still on this side of the veil, I like to remember my beloved cats and dogs who have passed. What a miracle it would be to have one more hour with them. How profoundly I would treasure that hour. But I have time with Solo, still. So I will do my best to treasure my time with him while I can.
Help Out
With so much suffering in the world, it is such a gift to remember that there is a lot we can do close to home.
Now that I have moved back to my hometown after living elsewhere for many years, I love an opportunity to help out a family member now and then. Maybe someone needs a ride somewhere, or support after surgery, or help cleaning.
But when I lived a few states away from my family, I also loved helping out. The community center in my former town had a greenhouse where they grew food for the food bank, and they let me water it. They also had a clothing closet (which was a free thrift store type thing) and they let me sort through donations and organize the racks. I had such a great time doing that stuff every weekend, and I felt so empowered to create positive change. Time always flew by.
Try looking for, and welcoming, opportunities to help. Even seemingly little ones. And see how your perspective shifts.
Sew, Mend, Quilt, Embroider, Knit, or Crochet
Literally, be constructive. Sit there and fix or create something. Make a quilt. Embroider a thrift store dress. Crochet a plant holder. Or just sew buttons back on and darn your socks.
Remember that stitch by stitch, or patch by patch, you can put something beautiful together. Literally use your two hands to make the world a more beautiful place.
What do you think? Did this post spark your inspiration? Or do you have another healing chore to share? Please chime in below!
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