Not so fun fact, being surrounded by clutter is proven to cause anxiety and stress. Having doubts? Google 'stress of clutter' and find numerous studies surrounding the effects it has on our mental health. Even the thought of getting the cleaning started can cause anxiety, stress and depression. Where do we go from here? We learn where to start and how to cope.
It is proven that the stress hormone, cortisol, is triggered and released when one is surrounded by disorganization. The human brain works in a very organized manner to keep all parts of the human body functioning. When we surround ourselves with constant disorganization, our brain goes into overload trying to process our surroundings which reduces our ability to focus making it difficult to relax both physically and mentally.
It sounds pretty simple. Get organized, stay organized and we won't have to worry about stress. Ideally, very simple, realistically it can be a little more complicated than we realize to even attempt to think about getting the organization started. Here are some small but helpful tips to get anyone started:
- Pick a room and try not to bounce from one room to another. If there is more than one person working on the declutter, assign each a room.
- Make piles of items to keep, recycle, donate, sell or trash. Be mindful and realistic of these items. Do you need the shirt that you may wear but haven't worn in so many years? Is the shirt in good condition to sell or could it be donated? Would the shirt make a better dust cloth? Take your time, think about it.
- Don't stress about finishing the room chosen in a limited amount of time. Take breaks. Work 15-20 minutes, take a 30-40 minute break.
- Acknowledge the newly cleaned space and take credit for the job well done. Appreciate and breath.
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