Ed Said: Let’s get our sh*t together

04 Oct, 2021

The change of seasons is built into our DNA and we seem to know roughly what the next phase of the year is partly by instinct and partly by where the earth is on its journey around the sun. Lockdown has afforded us some extra time for DIY pursuits, but spring cleaning is a great way to spend time renewing, revitalising and refreshing, as we come out of the colder months. This is the time of year our spirit seems to climb out of its hibernation – stretching, yawning, and immediately desiring to move the furniture around, reappoint the wardrobe, or clean out the garage.

According to the experts spring cleaning isn’t anything new, it’s something we’ve done for centuries, but somehow we know it’s important for our health – it’s an individual or collective effort to air out, clean and reinvigorate our minds, bodies, homes and work spaces. We enjoy the focus on a particular task, we are productive, and somehow, by osmosis, physically decluttering our living and working spaces also declutters our mind. Somehow, finally sorting that kitchen utensil drawer or garden shed is incredibly liberating.

But take it from me, no matter what your religious bent, prayer and supplication won’t get your bathroom cupboard organised. For the less motivated, sometimes the act of ‘serious sorting’ requires a direct, no-nonsense approach, like a metaphorical kick in the rear end with advice from author Messie Condo and her 2019 self-help book Tidy the F*ck Up: The American Art of Organizing Your Sh*t, a parody of the more homely Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.

Apologies if you’re offended by the title. Apparently Condo is a dedicated swearer, and readers identify much more easily with her modern and direct vernacular. For example, the title of Chapter 2: Throw Sh*t Out. Well, good old fashioned advice doesn’t get any simpler than that does it? And goodness knows during these crazy times we could all benefit from ‘throwing sh*t out’ and ‘getting our sh*t together’. And just like that, I know you get where I’m coming from.

Knowing where to start and what to do to declutter our lives can be overwhelming. The Covid atmosphere of the last 18 months has created a spike in the anxiety and stress levels of many New Zealanders, as if life wasn’t tough enough. And making decisions is difficult. Mental Health Awareness Week (Sep 27 – Oct 03) seemed to come at the perfect time as we are navigating through lockdowns and uncertainty. But as you’re spring cleaning and clearing your clutter, take the opportunity to also think about casting off some of your psychological baggage as well.

Without wading too deeply into the muddy pools of psychology and psychiatry, it’s enough to say that mental health awareness is just that – an enlightening about the existence of either your own issues, or the issues faced by someone else.

The Mental Health Foundation is pushing the importance of ‘Me Time’, time that’s just for you, doing something you want to do. I agree. If we don’t look after ourselves, how can we hope to be able to look after others?

Mangawhai local Marisa Garau is an author, blogger, and mindfulness expert. There’s much more to her than that of course, but the short story is that living a crazy corporate life eventually saw her exhausted and burnt out and looking for change. From the Netherlands to New Zealand via Australia, she’s moved to the area twice, so obviously loves the place. Mindfulness is a therapeutic technique she has learned and developed for people – and animals – that can be used for general wellbeing by being more conscious, more aware, more present. Marisa starts a column for readers in this issue.