Bogged down by stress? Perhaps it’s time for that spring clean inside and out!
It is evident that stress will always be a part of life; however, you can avoid letting stress get the best of you by de-cluttering your life and your mind. Here are a few ways to de-clutter your life inside and out:
Unclutter your living space:
First of all living in an apartment or house filled with clutter can cause added stress. Not being able to find your keys or losing important papers can affect our mood for the remainder of the day. Pick one area to work on, such as that dreaded junk drawer, or the mile high pile of clothes at the bottom of your closet. Plain and simple, keep what you use and get rid of what you don’t!
Turn off the TV/Radio/Computer:
We often find ourselves sitting in the living room chatting on the phone with both the tv and computer on. Too much audiovisual stimuli can add unnecessary stress to our daily lives. Regularly “unplugging” from all electronics for blocks of time will allow the body and mind to return to a relaxed state. If you can’t afford to unplug yourself from all stimuli, try turning off the TV while you talk on the phone.
Clear your agenda:
Filling our days to the brim with work, commitments, activities, and other plans has become a normal custom. Try clearing out your calendar by learning to say no to the activities that you don’t care as much about. If there are unnecessary commitments that you dread, eliminate them. You will feel a lot better looking at a calendar that does not include numerous activities you wished you didn’t have to but committed too.
Members, how do you unclutter your life? How does “spring cleaning” help reduce your stress?
To read more about how to reduce stress:
Simplify your life to reduce stress http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/simplify-your-life/MY01230 Accessed March 17th, 2010.
Samantha, Bilingual Health Educator
