Simply you: We heal when we rest
August 1, 2009 by Liz Canavan
Filed under Inside You, Simply You
I visited my acupuncturist last week and he said some simple words to me that hit home: “We heal when we rest.”
Physiologically, I see how that’s true. After lifting weights, we’re supposed to have “rest” days so our muscles can grow back together (much, much stronger, please!).
I thought of his words in terms of mourning the loss of someone (death, miscarriage, break-up), and then I wondered how this connected to clutter and the organizing process.
After helping someone reorganize their life, it’s common for them to say that they feel “lighter.” I joke that organizing allows you to lose 100 pounds in a day without dieting. (Goodbye, stuff!)
After working with one local man named Jeff last week — a full-day of organizing an office-spilled-to-living-room — he said he felt like he had completed a marathon.
“I feel physically exhausted, but so proud and happy,” he said.
I feel the same way after a big day on the job; proud and excited — and pretty wiped.
Which again brings me to the acupuncturist’s quote. Jeff, like three out of four Americans, has clutter that is on his mind every day; it “speaks” to him constantly. The clutter stares you down and says, “When are you going to tackle me?”
I don’t know about you, but I can’t rest — truly rest — when I have major clutter. And vice versa, after a day of clarifying what I want and need and getting rid of the rest, I feel focused and uplifted. Clearing out your clutter connects with deep rest, and then one step further, healing.
Maybe it’s your last summer commitment to your family or yourself. Truly rejuvenate this summer; tackle your clutter. Rest. And then let the healing begin.
Get ready for fall
Canavan is offering free assessments to Women’s Magazine readers to help you organize your life for the fall — whether that means being the CEO of your home or the CEO of a business. Contact her at 303-641-4760.
— By Liz Canavan
Canavan, of Boulder, is a professional organizer with Alchemy of Order and the marketing director of the National Association of Professional Organizers. Got questions on how to simplify your life? Contact her at 303-641-4760, liz@alchemyoforder.com or www.alchemyoforder.blogspot.com.
