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We usually think of clutter as physical. It’s all that “stuff” you keep promising yourself you’ll clean up. Left alone, it seems to multiply on its own. Where you just had a few things out of place and distracting you a few days ago, now there are more.
Clutter is like that. A crowded, messy area magically attracts other items that don’t need to be there. While you may think this isn’t a big deal, it can be. Aside from the danger that substantial clutter provides (it can be a fire hazard, you may trip over it, etc.), any amount can be distracting. This kills your focus and concentration.
Maybe you don’t have much physical clutter in your environment. You are exceptionally neat and organized. If that’s the case, good for you. Don’t forget that clutter can also exist in your mind. Having too many unnecessary things in your head at once can keep you from focusing on the things that matter.
Here are four simple ways to de-clutter your mind. They go to work immediately, removing thoughts, obsessions, and other mental messes so you enjoy less stress and anxiety and better mental wellness.
1 – Divorce Yourself from Drama
This might mean saying goodbye to some people in your life. If they don’t provide more positives than negatives, their drama might not be worthwhile. Being around a dramatic individual regularly fills your head with unnecessary distractions.
The issues that the drama queens in your life are constantly dealing with become your issues to some extent. Ditch the drama. Say no to issues and individuals you don’t have to deal with. If the drama isn’t yours, you shouldn’t have to put up with it.
2 – Stop Living in the Past and Worrying about the Future
Well, maybe you can worry about the future just a little bit. It makes a lot of sense to plan your life. If not, you’re letting chance, other people, and circumstances decide how your life will go.
You probably know what we’re talking about here. It doesn’t make any sense to obsess over things in your past. They’re gone, and you can’t change them. Use any lessons learned to move on with more information.
As far as the future goes, constantly worrying about it won’t do you any good. This clogs up your brain and leaves no space for your mental machinery to deal with your life. Read more about how worrying is a form of clutter.
3 – If It Runs on Electricity, Spend Less Time with It
From when some people wake up until they go to bed, they are bathing in digital distractions. Constantly exposing yourself to your phone and tablet, television, laptop, and all the consumer electronics you encounter at work and play can overload your brain and fill it with mind-numbing clutter.
4 – Brain dump
Try a brain dump to help clear your mind. Take a piece of paper or open up a document and write down everything you need to remember to do. If you want you can categorize daily tasks, weekly tasks, monthly tasks and yearly tasks.
Record your workouts, household tasks, birthdays, anniversaries, work schedules, home maintenance, travel, meetings, entertainment, bill payments, financial commitments, health appointments etc. From your lists start to schedule things into your agenda. You no longer need to keep them in your mind. This makes space for your important goals and finishing tasks on time.
These are things you can do right now, this very minute. When you do, you immediately start clearing out your mental storage unit. The benefits are less stress, more focus, and better mental health; you might even find yourself sleeping better at night.
What do you do to help declutter your mind? Let me know. Post it in the comments.
Julie Stobbe is the 2024-2025 winner of the Harold Taylor Award for outstanding contributions to the organizing industry and Professional Organizers in Canada. As a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach, she brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides, mentors and supports you to be accountable for your time, complete projects and reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Reading time 5 minutes
The fall season is approaching! For many households, now’s the time to prepare for the new pace of life. Back to school and back to the office routines bring a whole lot of stress to the household. If you and your child are heading back to the office and school after several weeks of vacation and working from home, you may find it overwhelming at first. Another change in household routines and schedules. Here are some organizational tips that can save you a lot of time and stress.
Clear the garden and outdoor
Commuting is exhausting, especially after a relaxed summer spent at home. So, you want to make sure you can tackle some essential maintenance jobs rapidly before they affect your home. As the first leaves will soon fall and turn our garden into a beautiful red and orange carpet, you need to arrange for fall gutter cleaning soon. Gorilla Property Services has many locations across the country. Indeed, there is nothing worse than a clogged-up gutter on a rainy day. As fall is renowned for being a wet season, you can’t afford to wait for long. Clogged-up gutters can increase the risks of water infiltration through the walls and the roof. It’s going to be messy, costly, and stressful to arrange for repairs. You can keep up with the autumnal challenges by outsourcing essential jobs to professionals, from gutter emptying to garden checks.
Have a plan for college students
College students are packing or have just packed to head to the campus for the first time. It is an exciting time for them, but it can be daunting too. A lot of college students are unprepared for household challenges. It can be helpful to arrange a simple schedule of chores with them. For instance, you can decide how to care for their dirty laundry, especially if they don’t have easy access to washing machines. Similarly, nothing beats a healthy family meal. Students might not take the time to cook. They might not have a great place for cooking. For example, you can arrange for pre-made dishes they can pick up on weekends and bring back to the campus. Decide what meals they enjoyed at home and make a quick and easy recipe book of their favourite meals.
Make your lunch boxes go further
For the first time in months, you have to think about lunch boxes. Planning and packing lunchboxes can take a lot of time. Without appropriate organization, you might even end up wasting a lot of money. Some households prefer to map out the lunches for the week to get ahead with grocery shopping on a budget. Others love to prepare individual ingredients separately, so they can pack a lunch box in a few seconds. You can even create a lunch packing station in your fridge and pantry, storing specific items to make lunches rapidly.
Keep everyone’s schedule visible
Last but not least, have access to everybody’s schedules. You might want to pin a paper copy on a corkboard in the entryway or attach it to the front of the fridge with a magnet, or a shared calendar on your phones, you’ve got many options! Sharing schedules will save you planning time, so you know when everybody is free.
Going back to work and school after spending weeks at home on a summer schedule can be daunting. Don’t find yourself running out of time to maintain your household! These simple tips can help save you time and hassle in the long term.
If you need help developing routines to organize your household book a complimentary appointment with me.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, virtually. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situation. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you to manage your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
