Clearing Your Space
A Guide to Decolonizing Your Environment and Mind
If you’re anything like me, you may have felt the nagging sense that the spaces we inhabit—our homes, our workplaces, even our minds—aren't entirely our own. At some point, it dawned on me: my clutter wasn’t just physical; it was deeply rooted in outdated beliefs, external expectations, and unspoken societal rules. Clearing my space meant more than tidying up—it meant reclaiming my life.
This week, I set out to clear an unused office space for my daughter’s room. I had this project on the docket for about a year but was always too occupied to get started. My decision to procrastinate was unconscious. I told myself I didn’t have time, but I had time, and I just wasn’t present. Like many divergent people, I lived in my head, always preparing for what was to come or reflecting on how I never had enough time. Sometimes, I get so anxious that I distract myself by planning; I have a plan for everything, and plans are great when you act on them, but planning to plan is a form of avoidance.
Something as simple as painting a room was a radical decision to center myself in my reality. It allowed me to enter a flow state, and for the first time in a long time, I felt satisfaction that wasn’t tied to my email being at zero or to a checkmark on my to-do list. I knew I was where I needed to be because I was present.
Among the collective, you can feel the chaos of denial, anger, anxiety, depression, and fear following the election. These emotions pull us back into the past and forward into the future, but the only place you can create change is in the present. If we are not present, we risk existing spaces and creating spaces rooted in fear instead of progress. We replicate the old patterns in new spaces. To avoid this, we must exist in the present on our timeline to clear space for our reality to manifest from a grounded place.
Here’s a guide to clearing your space that honors the journey of decolonization, from understanding the power of each item to creating an environment that truly reflects you.
1. Recognize What No Longer Serves You
Clearing your space starts with an honest look at what surrounds you. Ask yourself: "Does this item support who I am today?" Often, we hold onto things out of habit, fear, or guilt, but these things may reflect a version of ourselves we’ve outgrown.
Exercise:
Walk through each room in your home and identify one item that you keep "just in case" or out of sentimentality rather than genuine value. Consider letting it go if it doesn’t align with who you are now. This small, physical act mirrors the internal work of releasing what no longer serves us.
2. Acknowledge the Grief in Letting Go
You might feel unexpected grief as you release these possessions, beliefs, and habits. In my journey, I found myself cycling through the stages of grief as I realized how much my environment reflected not just clutter but deeply embedded beliefs from a culture that didn’t always support me.
Decolonizing our space means shedding layers of history, tradition, and sometimes even personal identity. Recognize these emotions as part of the journey; they are temporary markers on the path to freedom.
3. Ground Yourself in the Present Moment
As you clear space, practice staying present. It’s easy to slip into the past ("But I used to love this") or the future ("Maybe I’ll need this someday"). But when we’re stuck in these timelines, we recreate old patterns and fears in a new context.
Tip:
Find a few moments in the process to pause, breathe, and check in with yourself. Notice what each item feels like in your hands. Does it make you feel lighter or heavier? Embracing this practice can make it easier to part with things that keep you bound to the past.
4. Rebuild with Intention
Clearing your space isn’t just about letting go; it’s about deciding what you want to invite into your life. As you clear physical space, you create energetic room for new ideas, opportunities, and experiences that align with the person you’re becoming.
Thought Exercise:
Imagine your ideal environment. How does it feel? What does it look like? What colors, textures, and objects would make you feel most at peace? Now, look at what’s left in your home and ask if each item supports that vision.
5. Create a Ritual of Acceptance
Acceptance is the grief cycle’s final stage—and a powerful space for growth. As you clear, organize, and arrange your space, create a small ritual to honor what you’ve let go and what you’re inviting. Acceptance, in its highest form, is choosing only what serves your best interests.
Ritual Idea:
Consider lighting a candle or burning sage as you complete your clearing. Set an intention for the new energy you’re creating in your space. Say aloud, “I accept what serves me and release the rest.” This ritual can act as a symbolic gesture of your commitment to living a life in alignment with your true self.
6. Find Stillness in Your New Space
A clear space is an invitation to pause and connect with your inner guidance. When your space is free from distraction, your mind can also begin to find clarity. This stillness is where your intuition speaks the loudest, guiding you in ways external voices never could.
Practice:
Set aside a few minutes each day to sit in silence in your newly cleared space. Let this be a moment to reconnect with yourself, free from the influence of others’ expectations.
Moving Forward with Intention
Clearing your space is not just an act of decluttering—it’s a deeply transformative process of reclaiming what’s yours and realigning your environment with your true self. As you decolonize your space, you’ll find that the changes aren’t limited to the physical; your mind and spirit will feel lighter, freer, and more rooted in the present.
Remember, this journey is yours. No matter what others think or what trends dictate, only you know what belongs in your space. Embrace the process with patience, honor each step, and let go of what no longer serves you. This is the path to creating a space—and a life—that truly reflects who you are.
I look forward to sharing additional tools to help you clear space in Wednesday’s issue of Divergenthood.
I love this. So much of what I have owned has been born from and steeped in things I do not support. Moving slowly and with intention to integrate more of what I truly value is a never ending process. I’m doing the same thing with how I spend my time. Thanks for the actionable steps!