The Power of the Orderly: How Being Tidy Can Decrease Your Stress and Increase Your Free Time
Discovering the benefits of keeping your physical and digital spaces clutter-free
Have you ever been on the couch after a long day trying to relax when all of a sudden you notice something out of place? You get up to put it away when you see another item that has failed to find its way to its designated spot. Maybe you’ve been busy or in a bit of a funk and haven’t done much tidying around the house and the mess and stress start to accumulate.
Desks become a jumble of trinkets not put back in drawers, random gadgets taking up space on your counters you haven’t used in months or even years (I’m looking at you cold pressed juicer). You start to work up enough courage and commit to cleaning but don’t know where to begin. The secret to avoiding the unnecessary work and keep your space orderly is to never have to do much at all when it comes time to clean up
Why it Matters
The benefits of keeping your space neat and clutter free range from the mental clarity of knowing everything will be found exactly where you need it to be when you need it to be there, to increased levels of comfort when relaxing, and maybe most importantly knowing you can get things done when you set your mind to it. Your health and wellness is not only a reflection of the way you treat yourself mentally and physically, but also the way you treat the places you choose to spend your time.
Visualize yourself sitting at the park or on a beach somewhere, soaking up some vitamin D, trying to recharge after a grueling work week. You finally begin to feel warm and loose, and next thing you know the breeze carries an empty bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos across your bronzing legs and kills the whole mood. The clutter in your home and things where they don’t belong are like litter, keeping you from being able to truly kick back.
Setting yourself up for success in almost any avenue involves doing the pre-work. Make your life and the tasks you need to accomplish as easy as possible whenever you are able to do so.
Less Things = Time + More
A simple formula when it comes to tidying would be less stuff means less time putting stuff away. This net gain in free time means you can spend more time doing things that increase the quality of your life. To me, this means first and foremost getting rid of things you don’t need anymore.
Go through your home and evaluate your possessions every three to six months. The rule for me is if I haven’t used it in the last three months and I don’t plan on using it in the next sixmonths I look to get rid of it. There are some exceptions, such as things you know are seasonal and will definitely get used (think a snow shovel or a fan), but I try and be very critical during this process.
A lot of times we hold onto things because of the memories associated with them when the item itself is of little or no use to us. The beautiful thing about memories is they don’t waste space on our shelves. They are massless and can be stored in our minds as long as we would like them to be.
A great way to get rid of things is to sell them (I use Ebay and Facebook Marketplace, primarily). You would be surprised how many things in your home you do not use that someone else would be more than happy to pay you for. Another way to get rid of items is to donate them. Now that you have cleared your home of unnecessary items it is time to decide where everything will go.
A Time and Place for Everything
After committing to where each possession you are keeping in your life will be placed, remember to always put it back there once you move it!
I want you to think about how long it takes you to put something away in its proper location once you have used it. Maybe a maximum of 10 seconds in most instances? Conversely, estimate how much time you spend putting things away on days you do a thorough cleaning of your space. Now, try and remember how much time you have spent in your life looking for something that was not where it was supposed to be?
Making a habit of being orderly will ensure your space always stays exactly the way it is meant to be. The way that brings you the most joy and comfort being in your home.
Don’t Forget Your Virtual Housekeeping
These days we spend so much of our time in digital spaces we must be aware of what we are allowing to occupy these areas as well. Whether it be social media, the news, or our e-mail, we need to give some thought to their organization. So while you are in the flow of discarding useless things go ahead and unfollow or delete any account online that no longer serves you and your goals.
Just like old items in our homes, some people from our past are better left as memories. People change, they grow apart, it is part of life. Toxic people and comments can cause negative emotions to consume us so when the choice is yours try to avoid these triggers altogether. Consuming content which does not serve you and your growth not only clogs your mental bandwidth, but it wastes time you could be using to do things or be with you you truly enjoy.
I go through my friends list, accounts I follow, and emails I subscribe to every 3 to 6 months depending on how I feel when engaging with a given platform. If I feel drained after going on a particular social site when I was just looking for a few minutes of entertainment I know it is time to purge and refresh the content I allow myself to interact with.
Progress is Progress
Realistically, we can all fall back into old patterns. There is no need to worry about why you forgot to put your laptop back in the office or your used glass in the dishwasher. You don’t have to get upset with yourself for leaving something on the counter.
When you notice yourself getting complacent just gently remind yourself what you need to do and get it done. Noticing your actions are not aligning with your intentions simply presents you with an oppurtunity to correct these actions. This is the essence of how you can use mindfulness to make changes in your daily life. Start changing your life by doing the things you know you need to do when you need to do them.
