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Einstein’s last day of work ended with a cluttered desk. Does clutter confuse you or is it organized chaos for the genius mind? Most people cannot think clearly with a workspace in disarray. It has been shown that being surrounded by mess leads to a lack of productivity and motivation. Overstimulation of our brains by clutter does not just affect our work headspace. It has been seen that women who perceive their homes as cluttered have higher cortisol levels which we know is correlated to obesity.

The following are tips to declutter and de-stress about the environment.

Office

  1. Organize- Put frequently used items within reach. Organize the items you don’t use as often and place them out of site.
  2. Folders- Put all items in their folder. Create a pending folder for all the things you are frequently working on so that there are not loose papers everywhere.
  3. Reset- Our desk takes a toll after a long day of emails, meetings and phone calls. Take a few minutes before you leave for the day to put items away, clear off your desk, and maybe even sanitize your mouse and keyboard. This way you come into a clean, work-ready space the next morning.

Kitchen and Home

  1. Dance- Clean up and dance with your family. Let your teens choose the cleaning playlist. What about all those little blocks and toys on the floor? A fun sing-along like the Clean Up song might get your younger children motivated.
  2. Timer- Have everyone start in the same room. Give everyone a task. Set a timer or finish decluttering 1 area before moving to another.
  3. Recycle it! – With very few exceptions, if it has not been played with, worn, or used in a year (or more) then it needs to go. If it can be used or worn by someone else, then donate or sell. If it is not useful or broken, then bring to a recycle/salvage location so that it will be properly recycled. For everything else, trash it!
  4. Organize- Just as with the office tips above, put items that are frequently used in an accessible, tidy place that is covered. Turn that junk drawer into your High Traffic drawer. Out of sight equals a decluttered mind.
  5. Acquire less – After going through items you already own and seeing how much you already don’t use, this part might become easier. Buy less and donate more.

 

Next article in May 2021 Newsletter: Spring into Cycling