Success Hack #1: LifeDecluttering 101: How to Clear Your Space for Better Focus and Less Stress
INTRO
Welcome to the first of our series on Success Hacks 2023!
If you haven’t already, I definitely suggest you go check out the OG post in this series to get a little more background on how this all started. I plan to go back to the summary post and continually update it with links to the individual articles as I go.
For now, let’s get in to it!
Sparking Joy?
A few years ago, Marie Kondo took the world by storm with her Netflix Series Tidying Up.
Kondo’s method, known as the KonMari method focuses on decluttering your life and only keeping posessions that truly “spark joy”. Those items are given a place in your home and all other items are discarded (or donated)
On top of her Netflix show, Kondo has gone on to author multiple books including:
I bring this up to emphasize the fact that this is a big enough issue for people that Netflix produced a freakin series on it.
So maybe we should pay attention to it
More importantly, though, we should understand HOW this is a key to success
We’re going to go back to one of my favorite topics again…
SCIENCE!
Clutter Can Cause Stress?
Short answer is YES
When you sit in a room you are bombarded with information about your surroundings. Our brains are wired to constantly take in everything that is in our field of view and process it.
This junk and chaos can have serious impacts on both our mental & physical states
Overstimulation: can lead you to feel stress, anxiety & confusion
Decision Fatigue: clutter is not just stuff, but it’s a constant barrage of decisions that our minds need to make as we look around us. Do I clean that? Or do I continue to ignore it? How long has that been sitting out?
Lost Focus: These environments make it difficult to focus, leading to decreased productivity
Negative Thoughts/Depression: The world can feel like it’s closing in on you. Clutter can even trigger feelings of guilt, shame, and embarrassment, which can lead to negative thoughts and emotions.
Procrastination: Ugh, the house is a mess. I’ll take care of it later. Ugh, I’m just going to bed, I’ll do everything later…
Lost Time & Lost Stuff: If you’re environment is unorganized & chaotic, there’s a very good chance you spend way too much time trying to find things in your mess
One of the biggest issues with clutter is it can quickly create a downward spiral where clutter causes stress, then you become so mentally fatigued that you have trouble cleaning up. This leads to more clutter, more depression, etc.
“I clutter because I’m unhappy. I’m unhappy because I clutter. It’s a vicious cycle”
- Fat Bastard, “Austin Powers” (Paraphrased…)
Ok, so that’s not quite what he said in the movie, but you get my point.
The next big question then is, how can I fix this?
What can I do to remove the Clutter & Stress?
I would love to say here are 5 steps to do once and your life will be awesome, but success is a journey and a process. SO is declutter.
Here are some good practices to implement to clear your space and your head:
Keep What “Sparks Joy”: Channeling my inner Kondo here. Seriously, though, get rid of things you don’t need anymore. Live minimally & simply
Use my “Laundry Basket Method”: If you can’t figure out the “spark joy” method. Try this instead. You can read more here.
Implement Daily Cleaning Habits: tidying up, doing dishes, doing laundry. Atomic Habits is a PHENOMENAL book to get you off on the right foot. Read about it here
Designate a Place for EVERYTHING: Take out the guess work & unnecessary thinking. When something has a home you just know it has to go back there.
Avoid Bringing in Unnecessary Items: Freebies, Giveaways, constant amazon packages. You will never convince me you need all of them. They will just perpetuate your mess.
Seek Help: There are people out there who specialize in organization, storage, and cleaning. Hire someone to come in and help. It will pay for itself.
Conclusion
I’m not sure how else to put this other than…
CLEAN YOUR SHIT UP
Progress toward your goals takes focus and decluttering your life is SCIENTIFICALLY proven to help.
Look, I get its not always easy to do this. I have a kid and I know life can be messy. You don’t need the 100% solution right off the bat. Start small. 80% solution is GREAT. Hell, even getting to a 20% solution can be a tremendous improvement.
What ever you do, just make sure you do something & be consistent with your habits.
If you have any questions or are looking for help in your own life, feel free to reach out via twitter. @DJAJZampella. I am more than happy to help wherever I can!
Until Next Time!
-A.J. Zampella
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