There is so much advice out there about how to de-stress and de-clutter your life. But, actual daily living is not conducive to embracing minimalism or throwing out something you need simply because it does not spark joy.
Even managing just your home life can lead to burn-out if it gets too stressful. Approach your lifestyle management as if it is a project with multiple layers, designate your family members as project partners, and begin organizing.
Clutter and chores are not going to go away, so streamline your approach to both so you can deal with things in a way that does not leave you feeling overwhelmed.
Begin as Soon as Possible
Start now! There is no better time. Take a deep breath and clear your mind. Then take a look around the room you are in now. Is the space being utilized to its best ability? Is there adequate storage space? Will reducing furniture or adding more storage options allow the clutter in the room to be better managed?
These are simple questions that you can answer right away and help get you started on organizing. Once you have finished with one room, note everything you learned and what you would like to see improved. Repeat this process with each room of the house at your own time.
Small steps lead to long journeys, so spend your time evaluating one room well and in-depth. This time you spend on it will make the process of updating or reorganizing it simpler and much more speedy.
Take Care of Finances First
For most people, the major stress factor is financial issues. It can feel like you are inundated by bills and payments. They do not arrive at your home in any regulated fashion, and you can start to feel like you do not have a solid hold over how your money is being managed.
Yet, bills are a fact of daily life. You must find a way to stay on top of them, or the consequences can be even more costly. Consider opening a checking account dedicated to paying household bills and making automated monthly payments. Most simple checking accounts are free, and you are not expected to maintain a minimum balance.
Go over your receipts and payments to find out how much money you are paying for the month, then arrange to have this amount sent to the designated checking account every month. Most banks provide online access to your account, and you can set it up so that you are kept updated and appraised as each bill gets paid. Banks also offer significant incentives to encourage people to use their services, and you could benefit from cashback or similar money-saving promotions.
Decide Not to Do What You Do Not Have to Do
Most people have a mental list of things they intend to do but have yet to even begin. This is unhealthy and draining. Our brains have a capacity for how much decision-making they can handle any given day. Adding the decision to do the things you want to do but have thus far never managed to find the time is an added stress that you do not need.
Sit down and write down a list of all the things you have meant to get done. Whether it is work-related, family-related, or personal goals, just put them down in point form without any order of importance.
Be brutally honest and ask yourself if these things are feasible for you and your current circumstances. On a separate sheet of paper, write down the things that are doable but give them start and end dates taking your current schedule into account. For other things, cut them out. The mere fact of running a line through the written task can help your brain let go of the stress of holding on to the item.
Free yourself of the expectations to do more than you can at any one time.
As you can see, the organization is very simply becoming familiar with your ability to assign value and space to the things that come your way. Once you know how to utilize your space to its maximum benefit, it will be easier for you to de-clutter and donate the items you do not need.
Once your financial situation is streamlined, you can relax, knowing how much you can safely spend on luxuries for you and your family.
Simply being able to say ‘no’ and let go of doing things that you do not have the time or resources can free your mind to explore other activities. You may even find that you enjoy those activities more. The one guarantee is that you will be stress-free.
