How Your Clutter is Affecting Your Mental Health
Is it really that terrible to have a messy home?
Psychology Today reports:
“Clutter bombards our minds with excessive stimuli, distracts us, makes it more difficult to relax, makes us anxious, signals our brains that our work is never done, creates feelings of guilt, inhibits productivity, and frustrates us.”
Is it really that terrible to have a messy home?
Psychology Today reports:
“Clutter bombards our minds with excessive stimuli, distracts us, makes it more difficult to relax, makes us anxious, signals our brains that our work is never done, creates feelings of guilt, inhibits productivity, and frustrates us.”
It distracts us.
You want to focus on doing one task, but see the clutter from the corner of your eye, calling for your attention… Next thing you know you’re cleaning up instead of doing the task you wanted to do.
DO THIS: Clean your space after every use so you start a new day, clutter-free!
It makes it difficult to relax.
Our environment affects our mood. Clutter is not conducive to a relaxing environment. This frustrates us and stresses us out because we have a visual reminder that our home is not the way we want it to be.
DO THIS: Designate your room of relaxation as a clutter-free zone. Make a house rule that any other room can get messy except for this one.
It makes us anxious.
Clutter can make you feel like you’ve lost control of your home because you’ve “let things get away from you,” and now there’s this huge pile of things out of place. It would have been easier to sort through a few items here and there over time, but now you have one giant pile haunting you.
DO THIS: Ask someone for help to categorize the clutter into groups that you can tackle one by one.
It creates feelings of guilt.
Do you often criticize yourself and think, “I should be more organized?” That’s the guilt talking. Not everyone is born with the gift or taught the skill of organizing so you can’t expect to magically be organized without first developing the skill.
DO THIS: Allow yourself to improve your organization skills over time, and to create an organized system for one room at a time.
It inhibits productivity.
Instead of getting through our to-do lists, we add clutter to the list and create more work for ourselves.
DO THIS: Give your items a home and be sure to put things back in their homes after use so you don’t waste time looking for them or putting them back at a later time.
If you feel like your clutter has been affecting your mental health, let’s have a conversation.
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Top Three Productivity Tips
In today's fast-paced world, there is always so much to do and so little time. We all want to be more productive and efficient but often struggle to find the right balance. Whether you are a student, a professional, or a stay-at-home parent, productivity is crucial to achieving your goals. Check out our top three productivity tips that will help you optimize your time and achieve more.
In today's fast-paced world, there is always so much to do and so little time. We all want to be more productive and efficient but often struggle to find the right balance. Whether you are a student, a professional, or a stay-at-home parent, productivity is crucial to achieving your goals. Check out our top three productivity tips that will help you optimize your time and achieve more.
Prioritize Your Tasks
The first step to being productive is to identify your most important tasks. Prioritizing your tasks will help you focus on what matters most and avoid wasting time on less important activities. Start by making a to-do list and ranking your tasks in order of importance. You can use tools like Trello, Asana, or Todoist to help you stay organized and keep track of your tasks. Once you have your list, focus on the top three tasks and work on them first. Completing your most important tasks early in the day will give you a sense of accomplishment and motivation to tackle the rest of your to-do list.
Take Breaks
While it may seem counterintuitive, taking breaks can increase your productivity. Studies have shown that short breaks throughout the day can improve concentration, reduce stress, and boost creativity. Try the Pomodoro technique, where you work for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break. After four Pomodoros, take a longer break of 15-30 minutes. Step away from your desk during breaks, stretch, or take a walk. This will help you recharge and return to your work with renewed energy.
Eliminate Distractions
Distractions can be a major productivity killer. Whether it's social media, email notifications, or the temptation to check your phone every few minutes, distractions can derail your focus and prevent you from getting work done. To eliminate distractions, turn off notifications, put your phone on silent or in another room, and use website blockers like Freedom or StayFocusd. You can also try working in a quiet, distraction-free environment like a library or coffee shop. You can focus on your work and get more done in less time by eliminating distractions.
Productivity is not about working harder; it's about working smarter. You can optimize your time and achieve more by prioritizing your tasks, taking breaks, and eliminating distractions. Remember, productivity is a habit that takes time to develop, so be patient and consistent in your efforts. With these productivity tips, you can become a more efficient and effective version of yourself.
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Organizing Your Mail and Paperwork
Do you have a pile of mail and paperwork sitting on your counter or a piece of furniture in your home? Did you try to contain it to a bin that is now overflowing with goodness knows what? Here are a few tips to keep all of your papers organized in a few simple steps.
Do you have a pile of mail and paperwork sitting on your counter or a piece of furniture in your home? Did you try to contain it to a bin that is now overflowing with goodness knows what?
We’ve ALL been there at some point. All the papers that come into our homes can get overwhelming, and, honestly, most of the time is the last thing we want to look at or deal with.
Here are a few tips to keep all of your papers organized in a few simple steps:
Categorize.
Categorization should be the first step when organizing anything in your home. Put all of your papers into categories such as, things to read, things that need action (like bills), and things to toss.
Take Action.
While you are categorizing take action! If something is in the junk mail category go ahead and toss it.
Pro tip: Once the paperwork inside your home is organized, start throwing away your junk mail before it even comes into your home.
Organize and Label.
Use folders or any form of filing system of your choice to contain the items that you need to keep and label each file. You can even have a file for each member of your household if that makes sense for your family.
Here are a couple of organizing products we like to use for filing our paperwork:
Need help sorting through your paperwork and making sense of it all?
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Finding Peace in the Midst of Holiday Chaos
5:30am is when I found my kids standing next to my bed rubbing the sleep from their little eyes. I knew that once my feet hit the floor, the day’s busyness would begin. Add the holiday stressfulness and it would send me straight in to feeling overwhelmed. I knew I had to do something different to survive because the holidays were not enjoyable for this tired, working mom. Here are 5 changes I made that helped me get back to the joy of the season!
5:30am is when I found my kids standing next to my bed rubbing the sleep from their little eyes. I knew I was supposed to be appreciating these moments as one day they would be off and on their own and I would miss it but most days, I would just wish they would sleep in for 30 more minutes because I was so tired. I knew that once my feet hit the floor, the day’s busyness would begin. Add the holiday stressfulness and it would send me straight in to feeling overwhelmed. I knew I had to do something different to survive because the holidays were not enjoyable for this tired, working mom.
Here are 5 changes I made that helped me get back to the joy of the season!
Zone decorating
I stopped pulling everything out the attic at one time and expecting everyone to participate in the “fun.” I organized my decorations into zones and only brought 1 or 2 boxes down a day that I could handle myself.
2. Family calendar
I started using the Cozi app for a family calendar and grocery list so that my husband (and eventually my children when they got phones) could see all events, add groceries to the list and they even had a place where the Christmas wish lists could be made. My family was responsible for adding their own events. My rule was “if it’s not on the calendar, it doesn’t exist.” It put a lot of the responsibilities on their plate. I didn’t have to do it all!
3. Minimize time wasters
No matter how tired I was at night after kids’ soccer practice and late dinners, I made sure our evening routines were done before we went to bed. Keys, purse, backpacks, lunches were ready to go. Clothes were out the night before eliminating the “What am I going to wear?” time sucking thought process. I didn’t allow myself to get on social media because I knew it was a rabbit hole that I may not come out of until midnight. I became very picky about where I spent my time. I learned to say no because I also learned that time is precious.
4. Minimize the number of toys children have access to
Let’s be honest, kids will not clean up after themselves unless you make them. I don’t care how organized your playroom is, they hate cleaning up and just won’t do it on their own. When toys were left out, I quickly apologized to my child for trusting them with a toy that they obviously were too young to handle because it wasn’t cleaned up and put away. (A technique I learned from the book Love and Logic-best parenting book out there in my opinion.) That toy was put on a high shelf, and they quickly realized the consequences of not putting away their things.
5. Learn to be still
This is a really hard one for me because I am an Enneagram 7-the adventurer! I don’t do still! But I did. I carved out time for the kids and I to have hot chocolate and watch Christmas movies 1 or 2 times a week. I made plans for dad to take the kids to do things so I could get presents bought and wrapped. (The holiday season also coincides with hunting season so we Southern hunting wives have a whole different holiday battle happening!) I delegated the online Christmas shopping to be done by my husband (yes, I sent him the list!) I also carved in time that I could catch my breath with a walk, a bath, or an activity that was sans kids. It’s not selfish, it’s self-care.
Being organized was extremely helpful overall because it allowed my family to know where groceries went when they came inside. They knew where items coming out of the dishwasher went in the cabinet or drawer. With everything having a home, the piles on the counter could be delegated and put away by each member of our family. It wasn’t all on my shoulders. Being organized helped me find peace in the holiday. I hope these tips help you find some too.
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A Hurricane Prep Guide
Certain sounds from hurricanes stay forever embedded in our mind. The loud thud of trees hitting the ground, screeching and howling as the winds whip around your house and the waves of pounding rain as the hurricane bands pass by. It can get scary at times for sure and you have to be ready to evacuate or hunker down. Here are a few tips from this seasoned southern organizer that can help you if you are new to this season.
HURRICANE PREP
Certain sounds from hurricanes stay forever embedded in our mind. The loud thud of trees hitting the ground, screeching and howling as the winds whip around your house and the waves of pounding rain as the hurricane bands pass by. It can get scary at times for sure and you have to be ready to evacuate or hunker down. Here are a few tips from this seasoned southern organizer that can help you if you are new to this season. It’s certainly not everything but it’s a good start! It may just be refresher info for those of you seasoned Gulf Coasters.
The CDC breaks down prep into 2 categories: Prep before and actions after. I am addressing the prep before the storm here.
PLAN
Review your homeowner’s insurance. This needs to be done prior to storm season because by the time it’s in the gulf, it’s too late to change anything. Here’s a link with some great questions to ask your agent.
Make sure you have emergency numbers stored in your phone. This includes but is not limited to your doctor’s numbers, local police or fire and rescue numbers, local hospital, utility companies, your veterinarian, animal control, family members, insurance agent, boss, school/daycare, and neighbors. I keep a printed backup copy with my important papers just in case something happens to my phone. Here is a free printable from Apartment Guide so you can have these numbers on hand.
Personal papers such as insurance papers, passports, birth certificates, immunization records, wills, vet records and anything else deemed important should be kept in waterproof bags or containers. See example here.
Create a First Aid kit or order one online. These can include non-prescription meds. Talk with your doctor about getting an emergency supply of essential meds as well as a list of current medication, dosages, allergies and any other pertinent medical information that you may need to know.
Have emergency power sources in case you lose power. Make sure your electronics are charged ahead of time. (Extra battery phone chargers, flashlights with extra batteries, hearing aid batteries, generators, car chargers.) Here is a list from the CDC.
Have a printed evacuation plan (in case your phone isn’t working) and an emergency plan for tornados. If you have pets, be sure to include them in this plan. This includes names and phone numbers of hotels that allow pets.
Protect Home-board windows and secure anything that might fly away. This is when my kids realize I have a million potted plants! lol
Clean your shrimp boots.
Clean your margarita machine.
STOCK UP
Infant care items
Pet care items- medicines, leashes, bowls for food and water. They will need good collars with their tags attached. Make sure their vet records are with your important papers.
Emergency food and water. CDC recommends 1 gallon of water per person per day. Food that needs little to no prep and no refrigeration is recommended because you may not have utilities. Plan for people with special dietary needs such as the elderly or infants. Here is more information about emergency foods.
Don’t forget to include contacts, contact solution, asthma inhaler, blood sugar monitor or any other items that you or a family member will need if you have to evacuate.
Gas-For car and generator!
Paper goods-Be sure to include a manual can opener.
Covid-19 protection-Masks, hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes, and gloves.
Ziploc bags filled with ice or freezing water bottles can help keep your freezer and refrigerator cold for a little bit if the power goes out.
Hurricane drink supplies.
Toilet paper-I may become a toilet paper hoarder after the Covid-19 shortage!
WE NEED AS MUCH PEACE OF MIND AS WE CAN GET NOT ONLY IN THESE UNPRECEDENTED TIMES, BUT ESPECIALLY IN HURRICANE SEASON AS WELL. IF YOU ARE FEELING OVERWHELMED WITH ANY SPACE IN YOUR HOME AND NEED HELP GETTING ORGANIZED, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT US AT 225-205-6400. WE ARE HAPPY TO HELP!
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