Admit it, your mood deteriorates when everything is upside down around you? This is understandable: nothing can be found, nowhere to turn, because of this everything falls out of hand and you want to escape to another planet. Clutter gets on your nerves and disturbs your mental balance, but it’s easy to fix.
Imagine the situation: you return from work, open the door of the apartment and freeze in horror: everything is upside down, as if a bomb had exploded. In the children’s mess of clothes, toys and books, in the sink there are mountains of dirty dishes, the table is cluttered with cups with dried coffee residues, and the dog also frolic: on the floor there are a couple of broken flower pots.
Most likely, you are out of breath, it seems that you are on the verge of insanity. No wonder: clutter is a trigger for stress and anxiety.
“Clutter significantly affects the way you feel about your home, work, and yourself. A cluttered home or workplace causes anxiety, helplessness and fatigue, explains psychologist Sherry Borg Carter. “At the same time, many do not even suspect that this is the strongest source of stress.”
Clutter hinders productivity and creativity
Why does dirt and confusion provoke stress and anxiety? Carter believes there are 8 main factors at work:
- Clutter makes us feel overwhelmed as we are exposed to many small stimuli that make our senses work in excess of the norm.
- Chaos distracts attention, and we can’t focus on what’s important.
- In the midst of devastation, it is difficult to relax both physically and emotionally.
- The brain is constantly receiving signals that the work will never end.
- We are tormented by thoughts about how to clean up this mess.
- We feel guilty about being disorganized, especially if someone unexpectedly comes to visit.
- Clutter interferes with productivity and creativity.
- Chaos drives us crazy, because it takes a lot of time to find the right things and there is no place where you can calmly think about problems.
Fortunately, this is not as difficult to deal with as it seems at first glance.
Clutter Dealing Strategies
1. If the house is full of rubbish, do not clean it yourself, call the whole family for help. You can distribute responsibilities by assigning each his own site. If you live alone, start with one room and, only when it is completely cleaned, move on to the next.
2. Protect your space from the “invasion” of disorder, once and for all determine the place for what you use constantly. This will make it much easier and faster to find the things you need. Try to keep fewer items in plain sight as they still create a sense of chaos. Let them lie in chests of drawers, cabinets and drawers.
3. Get rid of unnecessary, useless and unloved things. You can give them to those in need or just throw them away. The main thing is that they no longer accumulate in your home. Keep things you rarely use in boxes (like in your garage) to make room for items you need regularly.
Don’t forget about enjoyment. Turn on your favorite music while cleaning
4. Put everything you use right away. Then blockages will not form in your house.
5. Get a folder for papers that require attention. Your desktop will become more tidy, and it will be easier for you to understand documents.
6. Make sure that piles of papers do not grow around. Sort out newspapers, magazines, brochures, letters and throw away everything you don’t need.
7. Always clean up your desk after work. This will help to experience satisfaction, and besides, it is always nice to return to where cleanliness reigns.
8. Finally, don’t forget about fun. When you start cleaning, turn on your favorite music: thanks to it, the work will be argued and time will fly by unnoticed.
Source: Curious Mind Magazine.