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Is your calendar jam-packed? What about your closet? Are your days filled to the brim leaving you tired and stressed out? Is your child’s play space stuffed with…well, stuff?
Space, both literal and figurative, can be hard to come by. Maybe we don’t see it as important. Perhaps we don’t think it is possible. But I believe space can and should be a part of life.
Today I am sharing 3 reasons to make space in your life.
You Can Rest
When you make space in your life, you can rest. Some might say rest is overrated. In this culture of go-go-go, rest can seem a bit unproductive. And I suppose it is; that’s the point.
For some, rest truly is a struggle, but a lot of good can come from rest. Our bodies heal, our minds stay sharp, our moods improve, and we have energy for whatever lies before us. When we rest we can do the things we need to do and do them well.
Space allows time for rest. When your schedule has space you can sit and rest. When your day isn’t crammed with activities from start to finish you can go to bed early and rest. A home with more space than stuff also allows opportunity for rest.
You Can Say Yes
I talk a lot about saying yes and saying no. Sometimes we have to say no in order to say yes. Some people say yes too often and burn themselves out. Some people say no too often and miss out on opportunities and life all around them. I believe the full life is about saying yes to your priorities and no to those things that simply clutter up your life. The beautiful thing about allowing for space in your life is that you can say yes when others have to say no.
I had a friend recently ask if I could help with watching her kids for a bit. I agreed. She then switched the time for when I would be watching them and asked if that was ok. I said that yes, the change in time also worked for me. She mentioned after that exchange that she thought I was one of the most flexible people she knows. I certainly think that I could be much more flexible in life, but I understood and appreciated what she was saying. The space in my life allowed me to say yes. I love being able to say yes to people especially when it is unexpected.
When your home has space (think less stuff), you can say yes to more time with your children. You can say yes to exploring the outside world because the inside (of your home) doesn’t need your constant attention.
You Can Appreciate More
If you have 50 shirts filling your closet you probably pull one out and think, “Where did this come from?” or, “I don’t even like this.”. If you only have a dozen shirts in your closet, you can see and value each piece. You appreciate what you have because what you have is not being overwhelmed by all your other items.
The same is true in our daily lives. A day overstuffed with activities makes it hard to appreciate those 24 hours. You might be too busy running here and there to truly notice what you are doing and why you are doing it. Space in your day allows for appreciation. You can appreciate the people who are around you because you have time to be with them and cultivate relationships. You can appreciate the activities you choose to participate in because you aren’t worn down and stressed out by trying to do everything everyone tells you to do.
Making space is a simple concept, but perhaps not always an easy task. If you keep in mind some of the reasons for making space, you might be more encouraged and motivated to do it. Make some space in your life; I think you’ll be glad you did.
What about you? How are you making space in your life? I would love to hear from you, so leave a comment below!
Until next time,
Charissa
So good!! Have been feeling almost claustrophobic bc there isn’t enough “space” in the house and schedule. Happy to read this timely message!!
Glad this message came at the right time, Cheri!!
I love the idea of making space. it’s not saying “no” because we’re lazy or something…it’s making a value judgement about what we really WANT in our lives. Thanks for this reminder.
You are welcome, Meg. 🙂
I love this. I just made space in my life today by getting rid of an unnecessary commitment and I already feel SO much better! It opens up so many other possibilities!
When you say “no” to something, you can say “yes” to something else (even if that “yes” is simply rest)!
This is such a great post. Space is something I have been actively trying to make more of (I am a chronic filler-upper!) and these were beautiful reminders as to why it is so necessary.
Glad this was an encouragement to you, Andi. 🙂
Love this, as I’m always looking for ways to make more space…both in my calendar and in getting rid of unnecessary stuff! Thank you!!
You are welcome, Lindsey!