Symptoms of a Stressful And Cluttered Life
While some find “stress” as a motivating force to “go an extra mile,” many people find stress as a highly impacting condition that prevents them from maximizing their life opportunities. The following are some common symptoms for people who are stressed:
- Feels tired all the time or fatigue
- Does not feel fulfilled or happy being at work
- Poor time management, uses the phrases, “I forgot,” “I missed that” and “I’ll do it later/tomorrow/some other time.”
- Unable to focus, feels like they’re doing too many things at the same time
- Always busy or those who does not seem to have time “to breath” or “have fun”
- Bad sleeping habits or does not have sufficient time to sleep
- Frequent headaches or gets stomach pain/upset stomach
- Irritable or mood swings
There are different coping mechanisms for stress but those who neglect or ignore the symptoms expose themselves to graver medical conditions such as depression, high blood pressure, heart problems, weight problems, reproductive problems and skin problems. It is essential, therefore, to start acting now and take steps to improve one’s lifestyle and reduce stress.
Tips To Declutter Your Life Starting Today
We’re not judging your lifestyle as cluttered. We are merely pointing out that one of the most effective ways to reduce stress is by simplifying your way of life. Some call it minimalistic, some call it Zen while some simply regard it as a practical way of living. Take note of these items and questions:
Routines
Some find routines restricting and boring but in reality, life is all about routine. Time is relative and you cannot change when the sun rises or sets. You can adjust based on various factors such as school or work but at the end of it all, there will always be a schedule you must adhere to. The question now is – how are you going to spend your time?
Commitments
Some people are afraid to hear this word as they find it too scary. Commitments, however, are not just about relationships. We call the “output we promise at work” commitments as well. We call “meeting with friends” a commitment. Having short-term and long-term goals is a commitment. Even the “seize the day” mentality is a commitment in itself. The question now is – what are you committed to?
Journaling
Knowing that there are a lot of commitments and there is very little time, how are you going to manage? Journaling allows you to record many aspects of your life including your routines and commitments. It is a self-reflective process that gives you the opportunity to review and assess what was completed, successful, has to be improved or simply, has to be decluttered.
Some More Action You Can Take
Now we are looking at some specific things you can do to declutter your life and reduce stress. Even if your life is not where you want it to be right now, you can still start making these small and simple changes and you will feel much better. As Tony Robbins said, "Progress equals happiness".
For 21 days, focus on doing a decluttering activity and write it in your journal. After 21 days, review what you have completed and assess how it helped you. If you feel that the daily activity improves your lifestyle, consider it as a part of your routine, if not, revise and take another challenge. Find creative ways to declutter your life every day.
Some decluttering ideas you can try:
- Laundry
- Folding clean clothes
- Organizing clean clothes into the closet
- Picking out clothes for donation
- Throwing away old shoes
- Deleting unused programs/apps on your computer/mobile phone
- Deleting unnecessary snaps or photos on your mobile phone
- Disk clean-up for your laptop/computer
- Remove unnecessary people on your social media accounts or perhaps replace them with people you’ve been meaning to add
- Organize your rss feeds, remove any that does not seem impactful to your life
- Organizing files on your work desk (putting them on a folder or an envelope)
- Organizing files at home (perhaps your mail or your bills and segregating them into folders or bins)
- Organizing toys at home (for donation, for garbage, for keeps)
- Taking your car to the car wash or doing it yourself
- Mowing the lawn
- Clearing out corroded knives/pans
- Throwing away old pots or containers
- Throwing away expired items
Bio:
If you want to learn how journaling can help you tackle life's challenges such as clutter, please download the free eBook, The Journaling Guide to Manage The Stress and Strains of Life.
Your home should be a place of solace and comfort, but too often is a source of stress in our lives. Our Declutter Your Life in 21 Days self-paced journaling course will show you how to take charge of your physical space, create harmony in your life, and end the battle with clutter for good.