Professor M.M. Goel*
(Samajweekly) There is a close relationship between decluttering and manifesting the lifestyle based on needonomics (economics of needs) for reviving the economy suffering from recession caused by decline in demand due to covid crisis. One gets stuck, when one is blocked by too much stuff at home. Ideas and visions remain wishful thinking and theoretical. One cannot see a path to what one wants to pursue. The stuff is simply external and easy-to-see manifestation of becoming cluttered in other areas of life.
Decluttering is removing clutter which is healthier because it removes dust particles and toxins from the air, pollution in the mind and behaviour. It can improve allergy symptoms, immunity and overall wellness. Decluttering may also help one feel better about self because it is an accomplishment.
We may not even be able to clearly define what we want to do in all aspects of life. Decluttering—cleaning up our act physically, mentally, and emotionally—frees us from those stuck places and helps us to perform actions.
Clutter, in any of its manifestations, has a negative impact on our energy, attitude and effectiveness. Piled-up desks, closets full of clothes we don’t wear, an unsatisfying career, unopened mail and unpaid bills—all of these create blockages that keep us from living into our greatness.
Our stuff is everything in our environment: where we live, where we work, where we store stuff, our cars. All the places have piled up stuff. We have to begin a weekly practice now: The decluttering hour. We will need three boxes. Label one donate. The second one trash. The third give to a friend. Set a timer for an hour and pick a section of a room.
Here it is what we have to do. Pick up everything, one thing at a time, and ask self: Do I use this? Have I used it in the past year? Will I use it again in the next three months? Does it have meaning for me? If the answer is No, pick a box and let it go. I have heard that some people sing “Please release me, let me go…” from the item’s point of view. Repeat the decluttering hour once a week until we are complete with all the spaces in our life. Take a month off and then repeat. Clutter repopulates quickly!
Decluttering is an inside job, as well. Ask self: Am I eating right? Am I getting the exercise I want? Am I getting enough rest? Do I take time for a regular spiritual practice? Am I indulging in addictive behaviours? Do I have a medical professional involved in my care? Am I addressing health issues? How am I managing stress and achieving work and life balance? What needs to be eliminated so that I can live into my fully realized life? What needs to be added?
Take a look at our thoughts and emotions: What we are doing to stay positive? Are we setting aside time for creative expression? Are we taking on learning new things, staying curious? Are we expressing generosity, passion and gratitude? All of these things create an internal glow that is visible from the outside.
Decluttering in one area makes it easier to declutter in all areas. The space we clear by throwing out stuff that no longer serves us creates space for clarity in other areas of life. The secret is simply to start with commitment.
On my retirement from Kurukshetra University, I found in my home out-dated, unnecessary things including books and journals. I stumbled upon gifts from people I forgot existed. The amount of clothes that did not fit me anymore was innumerable and the unnecessary papers were uncountable. The clutter had stayed, but—for the first time—how I reacted to it was different. Instead of adding more emotional value to it, I was simply honest with myself. Every box I opened, every piece of clothing I saw, every paper I read, I asked myself, “Do I really need this? Am I ever going to use it again? Does this mean anything to me at all?”
I donated useable text books and journals to the District Library, Kurukshetra. The most of clothes, I stopped wearing were kept outside the Indian Red Cross outlet for the use of anyone wants and can pick up from there. We have tried our best to adopt decluttering and require to be continued as a long as we leave this physical world which is certain. Let us adopt decluttering as a lifestyle based on needonomics for reviving the economy suffering from recession in post pandemic era.
* Former Vice Chancellor and Needonomist Professor living in Kurukshetra. Enjoy surfing the website www.needonomics.com
