During the COVID-19 pandemic, people spent a lot of time isolated and indoors, which helped foster an environment where some people now feel lonelier than ever. The result is a loss of social connectedness—the degree to which people feel the social connections and relationships in their lives to satisfy their wants and needs. When social…
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How to Unclutter Work and Life Resulting in Inner Calmness
Many of us made quick adjustments to our living spaces when the pandemic hit and we had to adapt quickly to everyone working from home. Many workspaces are now chaotic with clutter everywhere. In a May edition of Well Balanced, Joanna Eckman, a contributing writer, explained that clutter can actually affect your peace of mind.
Clutter comes in two forms: physical and mental. One of the big inhibitors of productivity is a cluttered or disorganized workspace. Even if you unconsciously clutter your workspaces, it’s time to recognize that taking a few minutes each day to organize the paperwork, throw away garbage, clear out your voicemails, and emails will decrease the amount of unnecessary clutter, which will positively impact your inner calmness.
Inner Calmness from the Inside Out: Physically & Mentally
According to Eckman and other experts, mental clutter happens when we can’t sift through information quickly, which causes us to be less efficient in our processing and can raise our stress levels.
- Have a place for everything because all items deserve a home. Clutter can take on many forms that negatively impact your productivity such as stacks of mail and endless piles of paperwork. Instead of leaving something on a desk or computer desktop, put it in its place.
- Juggling time to manage work, kids, appointments, and zoom meetings tend to clutter your schedule. It’s important to keep updated schedules on a calendar of your choice – your phone, computer and/or print calendars all work well. Make sure to mark time on your calendar for activities that bring you joy. Putting yourself first creates inner calmness and peace.
- Many of us have a mind full of clutter. It’s important to set boundaries in order to clear your mind and free up mental space. Eckman suggests creating pockets of time for yourself or setting specific times for tasks, like answering emails. When these boundaries are in place you’ll be able to get more done, feel a sense of accomplishment, and gain more clarity.
- Energy healing, or energy medicine, uses the link between mind and body to promote physical, mental, and spiritual wellness. When tasks are completed, you leave room for physical energy and mental clarity. There are many kinds of energy therapies such as light, sound, and magnets used to restore normal energy flow in the body and facilitate healing.
- Give yourself a break. You can’t do it all. Allow yourself time and space to do nothing – aka be present.
When you adopt a strategy of ongoing reorganization and decluttering, you will be able to see more clearly in all facets of your life. Opportunities to review and eliminate clutter will open the door to calming the outer chaos and prioritize your inner calmness.
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