The Ask Sharon column as it appeared in The Area News on Friday 25 September, 2015.
Following is the full version of the column featured in The Area News complete with the “Renewing Your Life” card from Denise Linn’s Gateway Oracle Cards.
THIS week Melissa asks:
“Have you got any tips on how to get a good night’s sleep?”
When I drew Denise Linn’s “Renewing Your Life” card depicting a person pushing a box of clutter off a cliff, I felt this could help.
The “Renewing Your Life” card is copyright to Denise Linn, 2012.
Recently, I’ve embarked on my own possession purging process, only to then make the link between clutter and restless sleep.
Most articles written about getting a better night’s sleep focus on some common hints. Namely, have a regular bedtime and wake up time (something to do with circadian rhythms) and stop all stimulants like coffee and chocolate close to bedtime.
While I’m not a chronic insomniac, I’ve had plenty of nights spent lying awake trying to get to sleep or back to sleep. I put it down to poor sleeping habits developed over many years. I’d like to blame university partying, but it was established long before that.
Before I engaged in some fierce decluttering, I enlisted help. Thankfully, my husband was happy to spend quality time with the kids, and having my mum’s assistance was a huge advantage (multi-tasking as the voice of reason and chief tea-maker).
As I picked up each item, I asked myself, “Do I love it, do I use it?” which soon helped me sort my stuff. I let one thing lead me to another, and while at times my bedroom looked like a small bomb had detonated, there was soon order amongst the chaos. What I discovered is that when I uncluttered my bedroom, my sleep immediately improved.
Tips on how to clear your clutter for superior sleep:
- Accept that there will be moments where you feel overwhelmed and you’re surrounded by more mess than when you started.
- Throughout this process consider this, as paraphrased from the great book itself, “We come into this life with nothing and we’ll leave with nothing”.
- Be prepared to make tough decisions about your “stuff” but don’t let it stall your efforts.
As I blasted through box after box and item after item, I found myself summoning a new energy and vitality. It made me forget that the night before I’d had one of my very ordinary night’s sleeps! I really did start to feel like I’d renewed my life and myself.
During my decluttering, I stumbled upon a reference to Chuck Palahniuk’s novel, Fight Club which is based on the central character’s struggle with insomnia and consumerism. How apt to read that, “The things you used to own, now they own you.” Touché!
Send your questions for Sharon to editor@areanews.com.au
Don’t want to ask a question by email? Simply complete the contact form on this blog. Use the message box for your question and it will come directly to me. Only first names will be used unless you complete the form as Anonymous. Ask away…you may be pleasantly surprised by what the cards reveal.
A special mention to John Bisetto who took the time to express his thoughts in a letter to the editor about my Father’s Day columns. Thanks for the feedback John.
Today’s card has been drawn from the Gateway Oracle Cards. Image and card as well as the material quoted below from the guidebook is copyright to Denise Linn, 2012.
A little extra information…
The following material from the guidebook about the “Renewing Your Life” card, may offer some additional insight.
Card Meaning: A powerful inner and outer renewal is occurring in your life. Purification is happening on many levels. Take your life to the next level by clutter-clearing. Release situations and people that don’t empower you, space-clear your environment, and eat lightly. In order for renewal to occur, the old needs to make way for the new.
The Universe wants you to know: Sometimes it’s difficult for exciting experiences to come into your life if your auric field or personal space is cluttered. There’s simply no room for something new. When you purify your life, you create the space for new opportunities to come flooding in. If you have a sense that your auric field, your living space, or your body have become cluttered or dingy, this is the time to do some inner and outer clearing.
Questions to ask yourself: Is there anything I need to purify or clear out of my life? Is there anything that needs to be renewed or reexamined in my life? How can purification help me become a clearer channel for myself and others?
Affirmation: “Radiant vitality is filling my life!”
