"We shape our buildings and afterwards, our buildings shape us," said Winston Churchill. The kind of environment we live in has effects on our thinking, behaviorism, and health. A chaotic environment has an adverse effect on physical and emotional state.
Just like living with negative people might necessitate repetitive EFT applications, being in a hostile environment, where people's belongings are screaming at them, seems to trigger the negative emotion and behavior which result in fall-backs. Buckminster Fuller said, "Reform the environment, stop trying to reform the people. They will reform themselves if the environment is right." Once their environment is nurturing, people's behaviors change and they seek ways to be nurturing to themselves.
People in balanced and harmonious surroundings are much happier. They are more efficient and productive. They understand more easily and learn faster. They feel in control. They enjoy life, themselves, and whatever they do. On the other hand, people in disorganized environments feel lost, anxious, dissatisfied, disappointed, overwhelmed, and unhappy. They get sick easily and their recovery takes longer.
In a welcoming, orderly, nurturing place with no or least amount of clutter, people respond to healing processes better. They are more open to the possibilities; they heal faster and stay that way. (Most people confirm that they sleep much better away from home in a hotel room. It is because hotel rooms do NOT have what people normally have in their bedrooms!)
Organizing with EFT consists of 9 phases each of which is performed in two sections;
a) Preparing the mind and the body for the targeted work, which is accomplished with EFT, and b) Physically doing it.
In this series of articles I will be giving instructions on the first step for each phase. Information and explanations for the second step can be found in many organizing books on the market. I am currently writing a book which combines instructions for both.
9 Phases
1. Stopping the Incoming Clutter
2. Observing Habits
3. Eliminating the "Unnecessary"
4. Defeating Procrastination
5. Creating A Functioning System
6. Understanding Paper Management
7. Getting Rid of Old Clutter
8. Working on Time Management Skills
9. Maintaining Order
For some people, the order of the phases might change, and steps might intersect and overlap. However, staying pretty much in the order above will work for most.
Organize with EFT Series - Phase 1 Stop the Clutter with EFT
Most organizing books suggest that getting rid of clutter is the first step in getting organized. This mostly means dealing with the clutter which has built up over the years. However, because of constant incoming data such as paper, objects and events, people are not even capable of catching up with daily arrivals let alone being able to concentrate on the previous build-up.
Some people go through big "clean up" cycles without creating a system. Others, overwhelmed with time constraints generated on them by others, feel that whatever comes their way is their priority. The results of both behaviors create a feeling of defeat and hopelessness about the targeted task.
If people first work on decreasing what is coming at them, they can feel an instant relief, and get immediate satisfaction. This creates the encouragement and motivation towards aiming for tackling years worth of old junk.
The "Stop the Clutter" phase is involved with taking actions such as decreasing or stopping junk mail, magazine and catalog subscriptions; limiting events and organizations that one is involved with; and eliminating unnecessary shopping.
There are 3 basic challenges in this phase. Each challenge and appropriate set up and reminder phrase is described below.
A. Challenges with TIME
While tapping Karate Chop:
Even though I believe that I don't have time to work on getting organized…
I love and forgive myself for not creating time to get organized
I love and forgive anyone else that contributes to my not having time to get organized
Use the Reminder Phrases:
This belief of not having time, or
Not having enough time
Other phrases related to Time - Pick the ones which are true to you
Even though I don't think spending time on getting organized is worth my time…
I love and forgive myself for choosing to spend my time:
* watching TV
* reading magazines
* going shopping
* chatting on the phone
* going out
* surfing on the Internet
* ....fill in the blank … instead of working on my organizing project.
Even though I believe that instead of spending my time getting organized, I could be creating something, and that being organized is going to kill my creativity, I choose to see that there might be a creative way to get organized and that if I am able to get to my things easier, I might be able to catch the inspiration when it hits, and I might be able to create more things, instead of constantly feeling lost.
B. Challenges with CAPABILITY
Challenges with capability have many different experiences and emotions attached. One person might have more than one of these aspects. The following list covers the most known feelings:
1. Feeling of overwhelm
2. Feeling of uncertainty
3. Feeling of hopelessness
4. Feeling lost
5. Feeling inadequate
6. Feeling of loss of control
7. Fear of failure
Experiences that trigger above feelings:
1. Giving up before starting because of not knowing where to start
2. Repeated failed attempts during the project
3. Mocking and criticism from family members, spouse, colleagues, boss
4. Not being able to reach the desired results
5. Not being able to maintain the acquired results.
Below are sample phrases that can be used by naming the appropriate feeling and the experience, while tapping the Karate Chop.
SAMPLE PHRASES with FEELINGS
* Even though I feel overwhelmed with the thought of unsubscribing from all these magazines…
* I love and forgive myself for not being able to say "NO" to solicitations.
* Even though I have no hope that I can ever catch up with my mail…
SAMPLE PHRASES with EXPERIENCES
* Even though I have failed to stop myself from giving my address out - to receive FREE gifts - I choose to realize that my time is much more valuable than those so-called gifts. I choose to stop letting these people decide what I should be reading, wearing, eating...
* I love and forgive myself for picking up FREE stuff from stands and stores that end up in my junk drawers and end up never being used and wasting my space and energy.
* Even though I have no hope that I can ever catch up with my mail…
C. Challenges with FEAR
Even though I am afraid that I will miss out on something I might need by unsubscribing from these catalogues and magazines…
Even though I an afraid that people will judge me if I say NO to:
* some of the volunteer work,
* donations
* help requests
* invitation to events
* .... fill in the blank … I love and forgive myself for not being able to stop buying all those things that I don't need or care for with the fear of not being able to catch up or fit in.
Check-Up:
Check to see what else is hindering your flow throughout the day for two weeks. It is easier to recognize daily happenings than once in a while occurrences. Two weeks should be enough time for you to understand most of what is happening. Find out your local and national opt-out programs. Utilize them. Be wary of what comes into your space.
Figen Genco, BA.
Figen Genco is well-known as the first and only Professional Organizer in the world who integrates Meridian and Energy healing modalities in her work along with spiritual teachings. Her undergraduate studies in Psychology, a BA in English, Teaching Adults, Methodology, have been the foundation of her further studies and her work with Feng Shui, EFT, EmoTrance and Project Sanctuary. Figen sees people one with their environments. Her unique sets of skills, ancient wisdom, practical and inventive problem-solving abilities and distinctive background along with her calm attention bring serenity to her clients' environments both inside and outside.