There are times when I get overwhelmed with my home environment. This causes all kinds of stress, and a domino effect occurs. You can tell the signs by noticing if:
- you begin to argue with those you live with
- you have trouble relaxing; pacing or aimlessly tackling things without intent
- you grab something quick and processed to eat rather than prep something nutritious
- you only feel relieved when you leave the house
- you can’t enjoy something fun, like your hobby
- you feel like showering is a chore
If I can give you one recommendation to combat this overwhelm quickly, it’s this:
Just straighten.
The Art of Straightening Your Home
Just putting things away where they need to go can clear away the clutter. That clutter is what overwhelms your mind. Sure, dishes and laundry can cause a bit of chaos inside you, but removing visible stuff on countertops, tables, dressers, vanities, and whatever shelving you’ve got is going to clear the space.
Why? Because one pile of laundry, one load of dishes, one full litter box, one full trash bin… those are single tasks that when tackled, clear away. But all those little things you’ve moved throughout the past day or two – that you didn’t put away yet – look like many tasks.
Let’s say in the past two days you:
- used a lighter to ignite incense, then put the lighter down on the coffee table.
- got thirsty at 3am and grabbed a water bottle which is now on your nightstand
- had a busy day at your desk and needed a quick snack, so there is a bag of chips by your keyboard
- got an Amazon delivery and didn’t recycle the large box, so it’s sitting on your floor
- had your grandkid over and fixed them up some pancakes, now to see sticky syrup on the kitchen table
I think you get the point. As you walk around your home, you now see all these tasks piled up. They aren’t one-time fixes. You now have to put your lighter back in its place so you remember when you look for it again. You need to either water your plants with the remaining water in the bottle, or drink it, then recycle. You need to toss the chip bag or put it back in the cabinet. You need to break down the Amazon box and shove it in your recycle bin. And lastly, you need to wipe up the kitchen table before the ants come in.
Can you see how this overwhelms you?
The thing is that these multiple tasks can be lumped in as one single task: straightening. Take the next 15 minutes or less, depending on what you have to do, and straighten your spaces. Clear away the clutter and put things where they belong.
I am willing to bet that you will feel a lot less stress and will even get the energy to do those bigger single tasks, like your dishes. This time, though, you’ll be doing it with ease and not resentment, frustration, or irritability.
How to Add Straightening Into Your Daily Schedule
My straightening task is a daily habit now. It’s something I began to do while I drank my coffee. What I notice is that I feel a lot better and woken up because I am getting steps in first thing in the morning. From after dinner to when I wake up, my family tends to accumulate belongings. Since they’re more restful, they tend to leave things to handle later. I do it, too. That’s why I straighten these items every morning.
Then, because I work from home, I take another 10-15 minutes to catch up on any items that need straightening that I accumulated since the morning. I usually have my hairbrush out, or a curling iron I left to cool down, my cat’s wet food bowl which needs soaking, and breakfast and lunch dishes.
Yes, it’s good to do this twice per day, but you can be just fine doing it once per day when you get home. Try this out for a week and see how it affects your peace of mind. I have been practicing this for the past three years, so I truly believe you will notice a huge difference.
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