Uncluttering In Response To Grief

February has been a roller coast of a month emotionally for me. Most notably, my aunt passed away from brain cancer. She was an amazing woman, someone I was very close to, and each day seems to bring a new feeling -- anger, disbelief, sadness, joy that she was able to be part of my life.



One of the unexpected side effects of this loss is that I have a strong desire to unclutter many areas of my life. I want to clear my calendar, sort through my closet, and clean out all the kitchen cabinets. I want fewer responsibilities that don't matter, to create more room in my life for the responsibilities that do.



Instead of turning my back on these uncluttering desires, I've decided to embrace them. Sorting through your things is an opportunity to evaluate who you are, what is important to you, and what you want to prioritize. Now, more than ever, it seems like a good time to think about these deeper issues and questions about life.



My hope is you're not currently grieving from the loss of a loved one. In fact, I hope you're as far from grief as possible. No matter your emotional state, however, I think clearing the clutter and determining what is important to you is always a good idea. Get rid of the things that don't matter to you to make more room in your life for the things that do. Don't let your stuff determine who you are. Don't wait for something bad to happen to motivate you to unclutter the unimportant things from your life.