Stressed Out? De-Cluttering Could Be De-Answer!

Stress comes in many forms – and has many causes – especially with the sensory overload and intense, nonstop, and almost overwhelming pressures of modern life. Stress can cause a wide range of problems, too. They go all the way from simple distraction from the goals we’ve set out for ourselves, all the way to severe negative health impacts. Those health effects can include hypertension and cardio-vascular problems, muscle tension, disrupted and abbreviated sleep patterns, and systemic inflammation that can lead to a cascade of issues. Health experts have even seen a link between increased stress to greater incidence of diabetes and hair loss. And if that’s not enough, stress is also known to cause a wide variety of mental health issues, from depression and anxiety to loss of focus and the ability to concentrate. It might be time for you to “De-clutter to De-stress.”

Much of the stress we endure in the modern world is fixed “overhead”, meaning that there is really very little that we as individuals can do to influence it – it is thrust upon us by the outside world. Economic threats to our well-being, generalized social disruption, vulnerability to the criminal element, political differences, etc., etc., etc. The list is almost endless, it seems. And it can wear us out. Especially since these threats seem to be beyond our ability to reduce or eliminate them. They are simply a byproduct of surviving in our modern society.

Clutter Causes Stress

But a key contributor to our stress level can actually be caused by the environment in which we live; yes, our own home may be contributing to the heightened level of stress we all seem to feel. The term that seems to have gotten favor recently is “Clutter”. Our grandparents may have called it “a collection of almost-junk”, or “a bunch of stuff that’s past its Use By date”. More likely, they may have simply called it a mess. Nowadays, it’s called Clutter.

Living in Clutter draws a direct line to increased levels of stress. Not only does messy living make it hard to find whatever it is we’re looking for, it can also be physically dangerous, leading to trips and falls if we’re not careful. Moreover, the feelings of frustration and hopelessness that Clutter causes, can also lead us to try and self-medicate those feelings away. Self-medication does not work. Worse yet, it often leads to substance abuse – ratcheting up all the bad things we were trying to escape from in the first place!

What’s The Answer? Is Mindfulness The Answer?

It’s funny, one of the simplest answers to increased levels of stress is what the mental health community today calls Mindfulness. In the simplest use of the term, Mindfulness is the state of consciousness that allows us to be fully present in the moment, and not influenced by or overly reactive to the people and events occurring around us. It also means filtering out things and feelings resonating from our past that may not be applicable to the current situation, but which nonetheless often influence how we react to today’s stimuli.

Mindfulness can be an extraordinarily effective tool for managing stress. It can be very helpful as a tool for managing our own emotions and sensitivities. And it is something that we can all benefit by. But Mindfulness is a process. Achieving Mindfulness usually requires training by a mental health professional; sustaining Mindfulness requires practice, too. Many people say that it can be grounded in a form of meditation. It can be very helpful and is a practice we all will gain from. Fortunately, there is a quicker and simpler way to get control of our environment – and our emotions.

De-Clutter Is De-Answer!

Living in a Cluttered environment doesn’t happen by itself, its usually the cumulative result of unintentional behaviors that become habitual. It might start with a very human reluctance to discard things that might someday have another purpose. And grow until it becomes a problem, squeezing us out of our very living space.

Clutter is a problem that demands resolution! And just like many of the things we can do to improve our life, the first step is to recognize that there is a problem. Take a look around your home and you will instantly know if Clutter is a problem for you. A healthy and well-organized environment has few, if any, items on countertops, vanities, and tables; closets will not be overloaded; navigation around items on the floor will not be necessary; it will be easy to find the things you are looking for.

How Should I De-Clutter?

Once you recognize that Clutter as a problem for you, the process of De-Cluttering is very straight-forward. There are really only three things you need to do:

• Organize the Job. Establish your process: the sequence of rooms that you will tackle, or the type of items that you will evaluate (clothes, books, tools, games, etc.). Plan how to gather and discard the items as appropriate when your job is done.
• Establish a Retention Criteria. The “Three Pile Method” rates items based on their expected future usefulness: Useful, Useless, and Not Sure. A fourth pile can be designated for items that are past their useful life for you but retain either a monetary value or the prospect of providing value to someone else if sold or donated, for example. A good alternative is the 12-month method – any item not used within the last 12 months is discarded.
• Commit the Time. It is too easy to make up good plans and just never get around to executing them. What a waste! Instead, plan specific days and if you will need help to finish the job, line up your assistance ahead of time. Otherwise, things will only get worse.

De-Cluttering, Simplified!

Hey, you might be lucky. You may have the strength, time, physical stamina, inclination – and a friend with a truck – that you need to complete the job on your own. If so, count your lucky stars. If you don’t, a sensible choice is to pick a provider who can either assist or do the job for you.

If you decide to engage outside help, Best Practice advises that you get estimates from three providers. Consider price quotations, of course, when making your choice. But be sure to include criteria that can easily be more important than the upfront price – things like reputation and responsiveness to your inquiry.

All Clean Exteriors is a local provider of services that help homeowners get the results they desire for their homes – from Power Washing and Gutter Maintenance to Shrink-Wrapping and De-Cluttering. Be sure to consider their reputation for performance and responsiveness when it comes to choosing a provider for your next home maintenance project.

Take a long look around your home,