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.

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).

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. 

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

A special mention to John Bisetto who took the time to express his thoughts in a letter the editor about my Father’s Day columns. Thanks for the feedback John.