Photo by Kristina Flour on Unsplash

Recently I’ve come across a concept in the decluttering/home organization world known as “hushing” your house. Author Myquillyn Smith wrote about it in “House Hushing & Why You Need It”:

“To Hush your House, begin with just one room and 24 hours.

“You’re gonna find a place in another room to act as a temporary, 24[-]hour holding space…. Then you simply remove all the smalls, gee-gaw[s], tchotchkes and decor and stash it in your holding area. It’s like a cleanse for your surfaces. A home reset. And the best part is you experience no decision fatigue because you are not making decisions. You’re just temporarily moving stuff out. 

“Once you hush a room in your house, you can see it with fresh eyes. It’s so easy to become house-blind to all the visual stuff we see daily. With a hushed and quiet room, you get to experience a sense of peace in a matter of minutes.

“I always like to wait 24 hours before I bring anything back in so I can fully experience the room with less. It’s a great feeling and once you live in your hushed, quieted room for a day, you’ll start to feel how wonderful it is and you’ll want to protect that feeling.”

I’m intrigued by this idea for decluttering, but I’m also thinking about what it would be like to “hush” my life in general. In other words, could I remove everything from an area of my life for a set period of time, and then thoughtfully add back in what was truly necessary and desirable? In the rush of life, how much of what I do is truly necessary, and how much could I let go of to make room for more peace and happiness?

Since hushing is temporary, I could:

• Stop reading or listening to the news
• Stay off social media
• Choose to buy nothing
• Stop watching TV
• Stay home instead of go out
• Close my computer and stay off the internet
• Skip running errands

Twenty-four hours might not be enough time for hushing my life—I might want to do it for 48 hours, or even longer. However, this isn’t an exercise in deprivation. It’s an experiment to see if removing some things results in a more peaceful, happier life. It’s a way to see if something is bringing me joy, or bringing me down. It’s a way to get a little distance and perspective on things I might normally do on auto pilot.

I think I’m going to try hushing some things in August. How about you? Is there anything in your life you’d like to hush?

• Will the complication bring you more joy than stress? Will inconveniences or sacrifices be worth it? In my own case, hearing Tank whinny when he sees me is worth the new shoes I don’t buy or the sleep I’ve lost when he was sick.

• Simplify your life other areas. At home, plan simple meals, or let cleaning standards slide a little. Other hobbies and interests may have to be put aside for a while. I have several hobbies I’d like to get back to, but I simply don’t have the time to pursue all the things I’m interested in. Right now, Tank is number one because I won’t have him forever.

• Establish routines to streamline your regular activities, but also become mindful of whether or not “the way I’ve always done it” is still right for you.

• Ask for help, and make sure you accept it when it’s offered. I find this hard to do, but when I’ve asked for help, my friends and family have willingly pitched in—and I’m so grateful for that.

• Prepare for the complication as best you can. How big is it, and is it temporary or permanent? Having a baby or starting your own business is more disrupting for a longer period than, say, planning a two-week vacation, and you should prepare accordingly.

• Finally, take time to really enjoy your complication. If it’s not adding meaning and joy to your life, why are you doing it? Shake off any guilt that might arise. You want this, you’ve prepared for it—now enjoy it.

One of my favorite complications