Life can be pretty chaotic can't it?
With the responsibilities we have in our outside world - at work, in the community, with the people we know - and the responsibilities we have inside our home (bills to pay, meals to prepare, paperwork to file, cupboards to sort, washing to do) there doesn't seem to be much respite.
Chaos seems to reign inside and outside our home, and at times inside and outside our body. And that creates a turbulent energy which I believe is impossible to sustain long term.
But what if life wasn't like this? What if life wasn't chaotic in every aspect? What if the areas of your life that you could control were more of a sanctuary? How would that make you feel?
I know that life throws us curve balls and that at times it all seems too overwhelming - trust me, I've been there too. But that's exactly the reason why it's so important to slow down and remove some of the chaos from your life. To connect with what's important to you and bring in the concept of sanctuary to your body, home, life - in whatever way works for you.
I know there are some people who thrive on chaos and I'm really happy for them. The fact that their body can keep them going amongst the stress and the exhaustion and the chaos is admirable. But I know from past experience that this simply won't work for me. And, to be honest, it wouldn't work for a lot of people I know - and maybe it won't work for you either.
What you may have noticed is that more and more people are living a chaotic life - and really aren't that happy with it.
The rushing around starts small. At first it doesn't seem like chaos, it seems more like busyness. But over time it escalates. Work hours get longer, responsibilities expand, connection with the electronic world increases to the point that we forget what connection with our partner, friends, children, family, ourselves, felt like.
Once entrenched in this pattern it's hard to shift, particularly if you feel you have no control over your life. Perhaps your boss expects you to work longer hours for the same pay. Perhaps you have expectations of yourself that are other-worldly, where you work all hours of the night and day and rarely switch off. Or perhaps you're so disconnected from who you are that you have no way of seeing how far off track you've become.
I don't think life has to be like this.
That isn't because I don't know what it's like to work all hours or feel disconnected from my purpose. It's because I've worked all hours and felt disconnected from my purpose that I know life doesn't have to be like this.
I've worked toward getting back to what my life looked like before all the rushing and the overwhelm and the chaos started. And to be honest it feels a lot more purposeful, a lot more in flow and, most importantly, a lot more connected.
I'd love to say that I found this connection by sitting on a beach in the Mediterranean sipping cocktails and working on my tan, but that's far from the truth. I run a busy household and a business - there's a lot on both of those job descriptions! So I'm sure it wouldn't surprise you to hear that at times I feel like the chaos has seeped in again.
Thankfully I've become aware of the chaos when it does start to rear its ugly head. It may be the slight adrenalin feeling in my body, starting at my heart and rippling through my veins. It might be a rushed morning where everything goes less than smoothly and we leave the house frazzled and scattered. It could be my crazy long to-do list which in reality means nothing compared to what my life could look like if it wasn't chaotic.
I've become good at recognising the signs of chaos in my life and shifting gear when it does rise up. I'm not a reactionary kind of girl so before chaos even has a chance to descend upon me I actively work toward diminishing it.
My chaos-doesn't-live-here list looks like this.
- I meditate each day
- I go to bed when I'm tired
- I eat well
- I exercise
- I hug my husband and child
- I spend time with women who light me up
- I go on retreat
- I spend time in nature
- I play with the dog
- I create with my hands
- I have afternoon naps when I can
- I watch TV that is fun and entertaining (ie not the news)
- I choose service providers who I enjoy spending time with
- I stay away from anything that I know will increase my stress levels
- I say no, and I say yes, when it feels right
- I listen to what my body is telling me - and I give it that
Why?
Because I believe you can live a more connected life by removing the chaos that surrounds you.
By making the choice to disconnect from it and reconnect with what's truly important to you, your heart, your soul.
It's a choice I know has made a huge change in my life and could possibly change your life in ways you can't even imagine. So why not give it a go? What have you got to lose?
Helen Joy Butler is an Intuitive Professional Organiser, Elemental Space Clearer® and creator of Joy Bursts who helps busy women connect with what's important to them - with the help of their home. By shifting the physical and energetic clutter in their homes as well as in themselves Helen helps her clients make real change in their lives, to move closer to the life they want and deserve. You can connect with Helen on Facebook and Instagram, and sign up for a free copy of the 'Your Heart, Your Home, Your Sanctuary' ebook on her website.