Spring Cleaning: Clearing the Clutter in Our Minds and Our Homes
People are usually interested in adding mindfulness to their daily lives. Being mindful means bringing your full attention to the present moment by focusing on what you see, feel, hear, touch, smell, and taste. Whether it is a habit or an unusual chore, cleaning is generally a good opportunity to practice mindfulness. Here are a few examples on how you can bring mindfulness to some of these activities and will give some ideas to transfer to other activities.
1) Doing the dishes: slowing down and paying attention to the temperature of the water, the weight of the different dishes, the smell of the water and detergent, the size and shape of the foam, the sensation of the sponge and water in your hands….)
2) Making your bed: noticing the sensation of the sheets in your hands, the movements of your body as you walk around the bed to straighten the sheets, paying attention to your hands as they lift and accommodate the pillows and focus on each of the steps you take to make your bed look beautiful
3) Getting rid of clutter: as you pick up each object you are considering to put away or dispose, feel grateful for the practical or emotional value that it brings into your life. If you don’t need this object anymore, say thank you for the value it brought to you in the past and the space that it allowed you to make in your home as you clear your environment.
Does performing an activity mindfully change how you feel towards the task? Feel free to share your experience with us and other fellow peers in the path to personal growth and well being in the comments section.
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Written By: Dr. Silvina Galperin Ph.D., C. Psych. , a Vaughan Psychologist.
