How To Spring Clean Your Life for a Better Frame of Mind
It is that time of year when everyone starts thinking about getting rid of clutter, but it is also vital to consider spring cleaning your life.
What does that mean?
Here are a few things to consider when thinking about spring cleaning your life:
- Are you someone who is overwhelmed with all the details of everyday life?
- Do you wish that you could be more organized?
- Are you starting to experience anxiety from all the disorganization and chaos surrounding you?
If this sounds like you, then this article – and the resources it will refer you to – might just be what you have been looking for to finally get all areas of your life in control.
There are tools available to make it simple for everyone
While organization and systems come more naturally to some than others, they are skills we can all learn.
Disorganization tends to seep into many essential areas in everyday life, including: work, school, personal relationships, and self-care.
We will touch on each of these domains, offer suggestions, and end with resources.
Hopefully, they give you what you need to get on the track to an organized and more stress-free life immediately.
Spring Clean Your Life: At Work
It won’t be easy to spring clean your life in the office–but it can be done.
Some people always seem to be doing things right up until the deadline.
These folks procrastinate, don’t start things until the last minute, and keep putting off the more mundane tasks.
They could greatly benefit from organizational systems and limits they set for themselves.
Other things that are often impacted are issues with organizing and answering e-mails, returning phone calls in a timely manner, and having a filing system that keeps the workspace clean.
A few simple tips to help in this area are:
- Create a drawer and desktop filing system.
- Keep your desk clean, and create hanging folders by person and/or topic.
- Have multiple stacking trays on your desk for work to be done, work completed, ingoing and outgoing items, and items to be filed.
- Keep print-outs and papers you regularly need close at hand in a bin.
- Label one as a “Master Copy.” This alerts you to make more copies when you get to it, preventing you from completely running out of your final form.
- Make “folders” in your e-mail box by person, project, and topic.
- Clean out your e-mail frequently by putting things in the folder they belong in. “Star” items that are of importance and that you need to act on. Ensure you do so quickly to get this item off your plate.
- Answer every e-mail and return every phone call before you leave for the day.
This is the power of the clean slate.
We can feel a sense of accomplishment and not have items lingering from the day before when we come in the next day.
Walking into a clean slate daily is a positive and dramatic shift.
Spring Clean Your Life: At School
It’s very easy to get overwhelmed at school.
Many major projects are due simultaneously each term.
While it may seem “old school,” I always suggest people get a physical planner.
At the start of the term, I tell them to go through every syllabus.
Then, write in weekly assignments, tests, quizzes, papers, and projects.
This enables the person to see what they have and when.
This also alerts them to approaching weeks that will be exceptionally busy.
If they can foresee that such an intense amount of work is coming, they may even decide to work ahead.
Then, they are not as overwhelmed during these weeks.
Procrastination can often be a problem for students, especially for those online who must keep themselves on track.
Scheduling homework and study time can be an excellent way to ensure they keep up.
Students should take their calendar and write in chunks of time each week for each class.
It will become more of a habit, and you will start to notice how much more able you are to get things done.
Knowing that you are up-to-date and not falling behind can remove a considerable burden.
Most people today are going to school despite jobs and families.
So, scheduling these chunks of time dedicated to each class makes it much more critical.
Let loved ones know about these set times as well.
There will always be things you would rather be doing with that time, and it is easy to get distracted.
Step back and look at the big picture.
You are trying to better yourself and create new opportunities.
This is why you spring clean your life in school.
Taking it seriously and giving your dedicated time and attention will help you reach the finish line with flying colors.
Spring Clean Your Life: Personal Relationships
Personal relationships can suffer from issues of organization, poor time management, and how you prioritize your life.
It is imperative to schedule time with your partner, children, friends, and family.
Have organizational systems that keep track of everyone’s events, medical needs, and other important information.
If you are constantly falling behind or forgetting things, this directly impacts the people you care about.
You might have to work late and miss valuable time with them.
You may miss an event that is important to them because you have either forgotten, or are stuck finishing something at the office or school.
An inconsistent pattern of behavior can put a strain on even the strongest of relationships.
There are forms and checklists I will refer to you at the end that can make organizing all these things a breeze.
The resources should also help you visually see what is happening and what needs to happen.
Create the proper schedule and balance to attend to all needs.
Spring Clean Your Life: Personal Life
When we are disorganized, or are working ourselves to death, our personal self-care often ends up last on our list.
We do not get enough sleep.
Nor do we eat well.
We are not taking a window of time each day to have a consistent routine to start and end the day positively.
Like all other things, scheduling in “self-care time” each day is essential.
This is not the area of our lives that should get cut out when we feel busy and overwhelmed.
It should be the most crucial area we ensure remains a daily part of our lives to make all other things possible.
We should give ourselves at least 30 minutes of alone time each morning to start our day on the right note.
You can read the paper, search the Web, do some yoga, say your mantras, listen to a podcast, watch a sitcom, whatever works for you.
The important thing is that we ease ourselves into our day in the most positive way.
Believe it or not, how we start our day often sets the tone for how it will go.
Also, have an evening routine where you make time to unwind, disconnect, and prepare yourself for sleep.
Yoga, meditation, guided imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, and reading are great choices.
They are calming and send messages to us that we are getting ready for rest and relaxation.
Self-care also includes making time to be with those who fulfill us, eating well, and getting some amount of exercise.
Are you ready to get started?
We have just tapped the surface of how you can “spring clean and de-clutter” your life.
It’s normal for people to feel overwhelmed.
At first, you may not know where to start when it comes to implementing things that you want to work for you.
I have taken all the work and all the worry out of this for you.
I developed three books that cover every area of your life.
Some just need one, some could benefit from all.
They contain thoughts, suggestions, forms, instructions, and checklists for every fathomable topic you could ever need (and things you never thought about needing).
The books can be found on Amazon, and they are broken down as follows:
- “The Ultimate Book to Declutter your Life” focuses on health, relationships, and various ways to get your life in order. There’s also a wealth of information on budgets, small business, and finances.
- Volume 2 focuses on developing daily routines, relationships, health, organization, marriage planning, and navigating divorce.
- The third and final book in the series focuses on tons of family scheduling essentials, moving, selling your home, safety, and even assistance on the overwhelming issue of funeral planning.
The books include issues on disaster preparedness, health trackers and schedules, tracking auctions, sales, donations, and so much more.
If you can think of it, a form is ready and made for you to make your life easier.
It’s challenging to spring clean your life, especially if you wish to tackle every important aspect.
But with patience, skill, and dedication, moving to a better, calmer frame of mind is possible.
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
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