Reduce Stress & Create More Time with Decluttering

Now I know when I say decluttering your first thought might be cleaning out all the closets, getting rid of old clothes, and cleaning out that all so famous junk drawer. And yes, this is decluttering and it is one of my favorite kinds. 

Today we are not just going to be talking about decluttering space but also decluttering your mind and your processes. 

When we declutter our mind, space, & processes we reduce stress and can actually create more time for ourselves.

Let’s start by diving into decluttering the mind.

We all have a to-do list whether it’s a mental one or a physical one. We also all have those things we need to do that we keep putting off because they are just downright unpleasant.  For instance, calling the bank about that unwanted charge, or making that mammogram appointment. 

We don’t want to do it, so we keep moving it to the bottom of the list. 

The stress-inducing part of this is, that it’s still there, in our heads, nagging us. 

I call this the stress loop. You wake up and say” I gotta call the bank today”, it’s on the list. You go to work and get busy but at lunch, you’re like, “I should call”, but no I just want to pause for a moment, I’ll do it later.

Then later as you get home from work, you think, “Crap, I forgot to call and they're closed now”, ugh, why do I do this to myself?  I’m so forgetful, lazy, whatever other negative self-talk might come up for you. 

So can you see how much wasted time you’re spending here?

• The stress/thought loop a couple of times a day.

• Feeling bad about forgetting.

• Beating yourself up about it

This is just one day! How long have you been putting this off??

So the stress takes a toll and we all know what stress does to our health.

The time these thoughts take up in your day multiplied by all the days you’ve been putting it off,

and the negative self-talk, and the effect on your self-esteem.

This all sucks alot of energy. Just keeping the thought process in your brain takes a lot of energy not to mention how deflating continuously procrastinating, and forgetting makes you feel.

I resolve this with a process I call the shit list. I have an ongoing list where I write down all these shitty tasks. Then I make an agreement with myself to handle these tasks once a week/month on a specific date and time. 

What this does is removes the whole thought/stress loop from your brain and keep it in a safe place until you know you’ll handle it. 

This can be life-changing. Less stress, more brain space for better things, less negative self-talk.

More energy!  I know I can use that. 

This also helps with sleep. Not having that looping around your head at bedtime knowing you took care of it helps you sleep better.

You might say, how do I know I’ll take care of my shit list?

First, you schedule it, second, you make an agreement with yourself, write it out and sign it. I’m serious.

It has to get done. Like brushing your teeth in the morning. Staying in integrity with yourself is what will create stress relief when you put things on the list.You know you can trust you! 

Lastly, start small. Even if you have ten things, start with one, have success, then immediately celebrate, dance, sing whatever, right after celebrate. Add more next week. 

Become a shit list master. 

What happens over time is you naturally start just handle them as soon as they're in your face. You don’t need the shit list anymore. Magic.

Declutter the mind part 2 - Difficult relationships. 

Same process. It might be a longtime conflict, or maybe you just forgot to call a friend back and it’s been weighing on you all week. Create the list, or just use the same one. 

Either you handle it or end it…the relationship that is. 

Because there is so much emotion involving the people in our lives this might be a long process. It also adds a lot more stress and drains a lot more energy and time. 

Handling difficult relationships immediately can be so much easier than letting them marinate for a while. 

Be patient while you move through this process.

Decluttering space. Most of us have done some version of the Marie Condo thing. We know how to declutter. It feels so good right??

So how does this relieve stress and create time?

When things are in order, they feel good, kinda flowy right? When you wake up in the morning to do laundry all over the floor and a sink full of dishes, it’s so draining. It sucks the energy from your body. But when we wake up and everything is clean, the coffee pot is timed to start brewing as your feet touch the floor, all the clothes are where they belong, and the birds are singing. OK, that last one is exaggerated. But you feel great right, empowered. I’d rather wake up like that. I’d rather create that environment for myself.

Things do not flow, and they take more time when your space is cluttered. You might have to wash a dish to make breakfast or clean the coffee pot. 

When your space is comfortable and free of clutter, you move through your processes with ease and flow. Less friction, less stress. Right?

Some creative things to declutter to reduce stress.

Your phone contacts, email folders, SM contacts, Gifts from x’s, your wallet, purse, computer files, email subscriptions, and so on!  I’m telling you, life-changing. 

This also creates space for the new that you want to come into your life. 

Now lastly Decluttering your processes. So what is a process? It’s the way you go about doing something, like a standard operating procedure. 

Take look at some of the ways we do things and resolve any type of friction. 

This can be as simple as a broken drawer handle on your work desk. 

The fact you never put your laundry away or hang everything up so getting dressed is a looong process. 

Tidying up these processes can create so much time in your life and as usual, reduce stress and create flow.

I love the word flow. That's how I want my daily life to feel. Flowy!

Putting all of these decluttering processes together can save anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour every day! It depends on how much work you need to do.

Does it take some time and effort, yes! But anything worthwhile does.

I go deep into these methods in my deep-level self-care Bootcamp, Aligned & Worthy. Also, I cover 10 more self-care practices I use in my life.

Check It out HERE<<

I also have a Time Expansion Masterclass where I talk about this, You can watch that HERE<< 

So to get started, Just pick one area, The mind, space, or processes. The one that you need the most. Start there and always start small with one thing. 

Don’t forget to celebrate even the smallest of wins!

Remember, practice deep-level self-care every day.

Xo, T