Ever feel like your spiritual life is buried under a mountain of emotional clutter?
In this episode of "The Catholic Gentleman," John Heinen sits down with T.K. Coleman, host of the top-100 podcast "The Minimalists" and author of "Emotional Clutter."
Together, they expose the quiet war within: a spiritual battle fought not with swords, but with our unprocessed emotions and buried beliefs.
Here are their three strategies to help you declutter your heart and ignite your faith!
1) Bring Everything to Prayer
Many people struggle with feelings of impatience, anger, frustration, loneliness, or sadness because they lack the tools to properly address them.
Acknowledging these feelings openly and honestly can help reclaim your inner peace. Coleman says to let prayer become your daily conversation with God, offering up your emotions to Him who truly understands you.
“I need to pray hard, like the Church depends on it. I take it to my knees and I ask the Holy Spirit to accept my sacrifices, my struggles, and my sufferings.”
2) Find Peace With Holy Habits
Emotional clutter can often point toward something deeper, like habitual sin or a neglected prayer life.
However, Coleman explains that “when you immerse yourself in the liturgical life of the Church, these voids fill with something good and positive. I'm too busy doing something that is truly life-giving, and I'm no longer available to emotional clutter.”
Adoration, daily quiet walks, and meditating on sacred art are powerful habits that can bring you closer to Christ.
3) Build Real Community
It can be tempting to try to go it alone, but faith is always lived out in community. Don’t let fear of vulnerability keep you isolated!
Coleman reminds, “We’ve been called to a personal relationship with God, and the most beautiful aspect of that [is] He loves us through each other. God loves you through me. He loves me through you.”
The Catholic community gives you strength, support, and a chance to practice mercy.
The gentlemen say that learning to process your emotions with faith will free your heart to experience authentic joy!