They say cleanliness is next to Godliness...
...but I dont think I would go that far with it.
Personally, I don’t like to dabble into religion because those views are personal, and customized for the person living that life.
As a child, my mother used to stay on my a** about keeping my room clean. I liked things a little more on the chaotic side, to the point that I would get mad the few times she took it upon herself to tidy up for me.
Now, hold up...
My mom was not the type of mom that picked up after me all day. Believe me, it wasn’t often.
My room may have been a mess but there was a method to my madness and I knew where everything was. It worked for me, at least that’s how I explained doing what I wanted to do.
From time to time, we would go look at model homes for inspiration. I always loved the way the rooms were decorated, and I would come home, and try to straighten up my room to look like the rooms I saw. Unfortunately, that never lasted long.
Sometimes, my mother would even try to bribe me to keep my room clean but I swore up and down I liked it that way.
I was a stubborn child.
I had spent so much time convincing my mom I liked it messy, that I had convinced myself, too, that even though I couldn’t see the floor, and even though I had to clear a path to get to the door, THAT WAS HOW I LIKED IT.
My mom would just look at me and shake her head.
You see, the problem with that theory is that I never wanted to be in my room.
I liked to bring my toys out in the living room, possibly my mom's room if she let me in, but hanging out in my room wasn’t really ever my first choice. In fact, I almost think I hated being in there. I was an only child with no pets and very few friends, so it was lonely in there. And messy?!! I was not here for that!
It wasn’t until I got older, that I started keeping my room clean and spending more time with myself. Obviously, like a typical teenage girl, my mother and I bumped heads often, so my room became my happy place.
As a teen, I was finally allowed to listen to music without it having to be checked first, my sketchbook was always close by and it was nice to just zen out and think about typical high school girl stuff. I started putting more effort into assigning everything to a place and putting it back in that space when I was finished with it. I started decorating more, to create a space just for me to escape to when the outside world got too crazy.
As an adult, there is nothing that I love more than being able to come home to my apartment. Who wouldn't want a good-smelling, clean space to come home to after a long day?
When my space isn’t clean, I get aggravated and most times I don’t realize the mess is the reason I am irritated, until I’ve whispered “What the f*ck is this doing here”, to myself at least 3 or 4 times.
I also noticed that I hide in the bathroom a lot longer when it's not as clean as I like it to be.
I am sure you’ve had your fair share of protecting your energy while dealing with ignorant people on a daily basis...
or overextending your kindness for the sake of being the bigger person.
The world can be shitty enough on its own. At the end of a rough day, or even a good one, the last thing that you need is to come home to more shit!.
The benefits of keeping your space clean are endless. Obviously, if everything is always in its place, nothing will ever be lost...
...but it's also a way to practice taking care of the things you choose to spend your time and money on.
So often I say...
...about the cheap things I spend my money on.
(You know, like the little random sh*t I grab from 5 Below.)
I can't tell you how many cheap, but quality, things I have broken, simply because I didn’t “put it up" and accidentally stepped on it.
We work hard, or smart, for our money.
The whole purpose of buying the cheap version was, not to spend a bunch of money on a similar, more expensive product, that can do the exact same thing. BUT that concept goes out of the window if we keep buying them because we keep breaking them.
And then, if I choose not to buy the cheap one and invest in a quality version, and STILL break it because I didn't put it away, well, then I'm pissed and sh*t out of luck.
I don't know about you, but I'm not very happy when the solution to my problem requires me to spend more money. I don't think anyone is here for that!
Another benefit of keeping your space clean most times is being able to easily customize it.
(Sure you can customize it when it's junky, but what can you really do? Move the junk from one side of the room to the other? Good luck with that one, let me know how it goes.)
Get rid of old things and make way for something new. Move things around and add something funky. Grab a candle or an air diffuser for some new scents. A plant or two will do, too!
Waking up in a cluttered space is almost depressing. You can't look forward to much because there’s so my clutter and bullsh*t in the way. Clean out all the sh*t you haven't used in months, and make way for new ideas.
Clear out your space to help you clear your mind.
Like I said, I don’t like to get too close to religion but hopefully, if you’re reading this you believe in something. Something Godly, I hope. I always feel more spiritual when my space is clutter-free. Like I'm leveling up on myself!
Even back in high school, my room didn’t always stay clean, & I certainly won't lie to you and say it's clean right now because it's not. (At least not to me)
But I do straighten up VERY OFTEN!
Because a little cleaning every day keeps that crazy mess away.
I vacuum every other day and wipe down common surfaces almost every day. With all this COVID craziness, I get a piece of mind just knowing I'm in a clean space.
The key is to do incorporate it into your daily living practice. You get up, make your bed, vacuum, and maybe straighten up the bathroom. The next day maybe you get up, make your bed, and do some dusting. Get yourself on a little cycle/ routine.
(Are you still laughing as her shaking her snappers hard as ever up there because I am lol. Anyhow...)
Saturday can still be a cleaning day, but if you do a little every day, you just won't have to do as much my good man Spongeboob, yes SpongeBOOB, here...
Finally, practicing cleanliness reminds me that things are always going to be okay, and not to beat myself up when I fall short because even if I don't accomplish anything in the day, I will always have a clean apartment and a made bed to come home to!
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