Feeling stressed and run down lately? Your environment and your daily routine may be to blame. Whether you work at a busy office or work remotely from home, too much clutter in your life -- and in your mind -- could be holding you back from staying focused, productive, and calm throughout the day.
The good news is, it doesn’t take a lot of time and effort to get organized and lighten your load. Here are three ways you can declutter your life and feel more balanced again:
#1: Purge Your Primary Living Spaces
If you work from home and spend most of your day in the home office or you work outside the home and need a place to relax after a long day, make sure your primary living spaces are free of clutter. Even something as small as a stack of papers, unorganized books and magazines on a table, or a messy desk can interfere with your productivity and take their toll on your well-being.
Get into the habit of ‘purging’ your living spaces of clutter, old items, or things that don’t serve much of a purpose to give yourself some physical space to breathe. You’ll be surprised what a difference a quick cleanup can have on your mental well-being!
#2: Develop a Morning Routine
Having a consistent morning routine can help you get focused and stay grounded as you step into the craziness of a busy day. Whether you have a set routine for showering, reading for a few minutes, prayer or meditation, journaling, or simply doing yoga for 10 minutes, a daily ritual can help you feel less scattered.
Try a few different rituals to find what works for you and make sure to carve out enough time for this routine so you don’t skip it. You might need to schedule this into your morning at first, but after a few weeks, this can quickly become a (healthy) habit.
#3: Unplug Properly
We live in a world of information overload and sometimes it feels like it’s almost impossible to completely disengage and unplug from social media, text messages and other forms of digital communication. While all this connection can help us get through our day, it can also prevent us from being fully present. And when we’re constantly filling our minds with information, there’s little to no room for letting your mind create or bet at rest. This can create the illusion of clutter and overwhelm, when all you really need to do is simply disengage and clear your mind.
Get into the habit of unplugging from all digital devices, remove apps you don’t use regularly, and turn off notifications at a certain time of day. You’ll feel more focused and find it easier to stay in the present when you do -- try it!
What are your favorite ways to declutter and organize your life? Share in the comments below!
