Declutter Your Space-Declutter Your Life

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Many would believe that clutter is a matter of your space not being organized or functional. According to psychologists Sherrie Bourg Carter, clutter invades the open spaces that allow most people to think, brainstorm, and problem solve. Julie Morgenstern shares in her book Organizing from the Inside Out; being organized is more about function than appearance. Morgenstern feels it’s about how happy you are in your space. If you don’t feel like clutters getting in your way, then you are probably well organized.

So how does decluttering your space add value to your mental health? Often times people who live in a functional space, are considered to be more focused, relaxed and productive. This not only helps with energy but also provides a sense of accomplishment. On the contrary, living in a little chaos isn’t such a bad thing. Though you do want to have a space that’s organized to fit your needs, you don’t want to get overly organized. A little chaos can help boost creativity and add to spontaneity.

It’s all about finding your balance and knowing what works for you. We all are different. What may be functional and comfortable for one may not be for another. It starts with understanding your needs and lifestyle. Once you can find a healthy balance, you should feel more at ease in your space. So as you begin your week, pay attention to the environment that you work in and go home to. Do you feel at peace and can you relax, or do you feel overwhelmed and tense? Environment is key! Once you can create a positive space that is conducive to your lifestyle, you’ll notice a change in your mental state as well.

In addition to cluttering our physical space, we can tend to overwhelm ourselves with task and information. Mental clutter is just as real, and can be just as overwhelming. So as you begin to declutter your space, also take initiative to rid yourself of unnecessary information. I encourage you to keep a planner. This way you’re not having to retain everything.  With that, try to decrease the amount of things you do at once. Create a list or schedule that helps you prioritize your duties. We all have things that have to be done, but there are ways to make the process less stressful.

So I encourage you to take a look at your physical space, and to free your mind. Life can be less overwhelming by simply decluttering the space around you. So take action and live in peace. As long as you are happy in your space, then all is well.

 

3 Tips To Help Organize Your Physical Environment:

  1. Let go of the old and unused– If there are things occupying space that you don’t use, get rid of it!
  2. Create a functional space– What are your needs? You need to understand what type of environment will be conducive to your lifestyle. You make your space work for you, not the other way around.
  3. Take your time and be patient – Once you begin to organize, make it a habit to put things back the way you found them. This may seem tedious and unimportant, but it just takes a few seconds and will keep your space the way you want it.

3 Tips To Help Free Your Mind:

  1. Keep a planner– You have to prioritize. Help yourself and write it down. Opposed to keeping your schedule and task in your head, create a list so you can physically check things off as you complete them.
  2. Multi-task less– It’s ok to multi-task, but you don’t want to over exert yourself. Just try to limit the amount of things you do at once. When you can give one thing your full attention opposed to trying to balance a few, you’ll feel less overwhelmed.
  3. Have “you” time– Take time to decompress. It’s just as easy to get mentally drained, as it is physically. Find time to unwind and let your mind rest.