Organization can help free your mind!
It’s true, we can all benefit from a little decluttering and a few trips to the Salvation Army with a couple of loads of old coats, kitchenware and children’s toys. Clean our desks, file things where they should be and colour code our daily schedules. But what you may not realize is that it is also great for your mental and physical health. Now I have your attention! There are health benefits associated with being organized. Becoming more organized in our professional and personal lives can actually do our bodies good.
Living a more organized life can help create some good habits that can lower stress, which we all know is something we want to live without. Here are a few tips on what you can do and their benefits.
Living with unfinished projects, or too much clutter in your home can lead to feelings of anxiety, depression and a sense of constant fatigue. Yes, sometimes it seems impossible to get started on these types of “chores” but once you get started, making a daily goal can help reduce the levels of stress that we carry. When we begin to see progress, it can help motivate ourselves to keep the momentum going. Have a monthly calendar on your fridge and organize your daily goals on it. This will help structure your time at home and get a few things done each day. You will feel great about the changes you are making in your home and it will give you more quality time for yourself, with a balanced mind. No unnecessary anxiety about the mess around you to clog your thoughts.
Does getting an energy boost sound good to you? If you find that you are feeling tired or are having problems focusing at work, try cleaning off your desk and filing things away that do not need to be out. Having a clean workspace will take away any unnecessary distractions and will let you deal with the task at hand. If you are home and are having a hard time getting off the couch, turn the television off, turn up some music and do those dishes or yard work that has been needing to get done. It is amazing, but doing these things can give you more energy! It will also create a trickledown effect that you will get excited about. You will want to keep this positive momentum going of getting things done. You can feel good about it too as it is then one less thing on your mental to-do list.
Making a meal plan every week. If you like reading through the weekly flyers, you can plan out what to buy at the grocery store with a purpose. Create a meal plan binder and log what you have planned in the previous weeks. Short of ideas? Check the binder! No guessing while you walk through the aisles, talking to yourself while trying to figure out what you need. We have all had that dazed look in our eyes wondering what the heck we are doing at the grocery store as our mind goes a million miles a minute to decide if we need broccoli or not. Having a meal plan has multiple advantages for our health. First, it allows us to make good choices and stay healthy. Second, it saves us money by not impulse buying. Finally, it frees up our mental storage space. Having one less thing to worry about is a wonderful thing.
Making some small changes in our lives daily can bring great results and will lead to healthy habits. Try to incorporate some of these ideas into your daily life and see how you feel at the end of the day. Over time, you will notice positive changes and a quieter mind at night knowing that every day you are making efforts to organize aspects your life. You will feel great and your body and mind will thank you.