17. Rearrange
In my half-sleep, half-awake limbo this morning, I felt an urge to redecorate.
Now, I wouldn’t call myself a messy person. But even after learning the KonMari Method years ago, I’m definitely no Marie Kondo.
The shelf in my bathroom exposes all my bottles of this and that, the bags hanging on my closet door prevent it from ever fully closing, and the assorted items on my desk have no place to call home.
For better or for worse, these aren’t things that I lose sleep over.
I appreciate a neat space. I value clean surfaces. I enjoy organization.
However, clutter often has to reach a critical mass in order to prompt my tidying.
As inspired as I am by the principles of The Minimalists, my form of minimalism will never look like a Scandinavian showroom. And I think I’m okay with that.
I’ll still always strive to live more fully with less. Today, this has involved rearranging my room.
As much as I love a good purge, there’s something particularly satisfying about moving around pieces of furniture. It’s like figuring out a creative puzzle—constant problem solving. If I want the bookshelf here, then I have to move the chair. But the only other place for the chair is in the corner, which means I have to move the shoe rack. And the lamp is blocking the one spot for the shoe rack. Maybe I can move the lamp behind the chair? You get the gist of it. It’s an energizing process.
With shelter-in-place orders, many of us are spending more time in our homes. And it’s an opportunity to reflect on how our physical environments make us feel. Different colors, textures, and even smells influence our energy and mood.
Notice how you take in your surroundings. What can you tweak…reposition…remove to make you feel better in your space?
Indeed, to have things to rearrange in rooms of our own—to have places to shelter in—isn’t something to take for granted. Especially in a city like San Francisco, my heart aches thinking of all the people who are homeless and still on the streets during this outbreak. And it reminds me to be constantly grateful for the roof over my head.