Get organised, reduce stress
We hear people talking about how stressed that they are when they look around at the clutter which surrounds them in their home or workplace. It can quite literally overwhelm you which in turn causes stress as you want to solve the problem but you don’t know where to start. Here we have some top tips for getting organised and reducing stress if you are at the beginning of your journey:
Clear clutter
This is the very first and most important step - look around you and find an area that you see as a priority, an area that no longer meets your needs, an area that causes you stress. This may be a food cupboard or a shoe rack, a children’s toy box, or a balcony - remove items that you no longer need or want from just this area. Consider how you can discard these items (you can see our Sustainability page to get ideas if you live in Stockholm). That feeling you get afterward? You feel calm, elated, clear-headed? Welcome to the beginning of your organisation journey and enjoy!
Learn to make better decisions
The interesting shift that takes place when you have organised an area of an entire home/office is a fascinating one. You have spent time carefully refining what you have and selecting appropriate storage for those items (hopefully with labels). When you come to buying new items to bring into this organised space, you will really notice that you have to think twice as you need to be sure that you really need the item in question since it could have the potential to rock the boat when you add it to the space. If this doesn’t happen right away it will and in the meantime, ask yourself - do I really need this? Will it add value to my life? Will it really make me happy? Do I see myself using it in a week/month/years time still? Sometimes the greatest joy can be had from simply window shopping, picking things up, and leaving them in the shop!
Deal with things quickly
A massive stress-reducing tip is to deal with paperwork as it comes in. Don’t add it to a fancy filing system you have by the door or a box of ‘action needed’, just deal with it and store paperwork in your file when completed. The amount of stress that is produced when you see the paperwork to be dealt with and the addition of deadlines that could have the potential to be missed is worth spending 5 minutes a day to sort through post.
Plan your day the night before
Time can be organised, just like your spaces. Declutter unnecessary items in your daily agenda and spend time the night before preparing for items that you will need the following day, things to remember, and reminding yourself of your schedule by looking through your diary for important appointments, meetings, and events. You’ll see the difference it makes and wake up ready and prepared rather than rushing around in a spin.
Make time for ‘me’ time each day
This is a hard one for most who believe there aren’t enough hours in the day to set aside time for yourself. It is an important investment and one which shouldn’t be taken lightly. You cannot function effectively if you are stressed and tired. Taking time each day (even if it is just 15-20 minutes) to do something that you really enjoy doing will help relax you and prepare you. Go on, treat yourself!
