When you think of clutter, your mind tends to think of the pile of papers on the hall stand (or wherever papers naturally gravitate to in your home), the bedroom closet that won’t quite close because you’ve stuffed one coat too many on the rail, or the utensil drawer that gets stuck every time you try to open it because the whisk is arguing with the spatula over who gets prime position.

But clutter isn’t just the physical items in your environment that overwhelm you with their sheer volume.

There’s a type of clutter that I call ‘emotional clutter’.

If we think of clutter as anything that stands in the way of you living the life you want, then the emotional turmoil we quite often experience is responsible for a whole lot of inactivity.

Because it’s the moments that we are experiencing emotional turmoil that we tend to physically hunker down until the emotional storm passes. I know I spend an inordinate amount of time in my own company when I’m emotionally overwhelmed. Don’t you? Sometimes the overwhelm is so…….well……overwhelming, that the thought of being in public as well sends my Highly Sensitive Person into hyperdrive!

So, what can we do in those moments? Well, science tells us that there are many things we can do when experiencing times of emotional clutter. We can practice yoga, pray, take a walk, listen to soothing music, talk to close friends (or a therapist) or utilise deep breathing techniques. And there are probably way too many other alternatives to list here.

But, one tool that I’ve always found helpful is writing. I wrote through my years of teenage angst, I wrote when experiencing toxic workplaces, and I wrote when both my parents died. Writing has always helped me process my thoughts and make sense of my feelings. 

There’s a sense of peace that passes over me when I put pen to paper, and that’s one of the reasons that I am drawn to the art of journaling.

For me, journaling isn’t just writing down what’s happened to me on a particular day. It’s not a “Dear Diary” process. It’s a totally intentional practice that involves using my favourite fountain pen (the same type of Lamy pen my father gave to me when I was 18), and a book filled with quality paper that my pen glides easily over as I write. I know there are those who prefer the digital version and a stylus, but I prefer the old school method. For me, there’s something almost therapeutic about the sound of the pen writing, and the feeling of the crisp paper under my hand.

I’m not sure I can adequately explain exactly why, but somehow writing helps me clear my mind, focus my thoughts, and calm my emotions. It’s almost like I can clear away the emotional clutter and be left with the true essence of myself.

And THIS, my friends, is why I choose to include journal coaching in my work as a Certified Productive Environment Specialist™. 

I believe that paper, digital and emotional clutter co-exist in our lives. If you have one of these types of clutter in your life, you are more than likely to have one (or both) of the other types as well.

So my mission is to help people work on these three areas; to save time and money by eliminating paper and/or digital clutter, and to eliminate emotional clutter through journaling.

Because I believe we all deserve to live a life of optimal productivity, true happiness, and soothing calm.

Don’t you?

This article first appeared in my Creating Calm With Katrina Substack.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Burden via Unsplash