With spring comes the usual focus on spring cleaning. “A tidy home makes for a tidy mind” they say. But does it really?
In this post, explore the benefits of decluttering, tidying up, and organising your space, as well as the pitfalls, and the best ways to maximise the impact of cleaning and improving your mental wellbeing.
How does clutter and disorganisation make us feel?
Having too many items crowded around you can be distracting. According to a study by Princeton Neuroscience Institute, having a lot of visual stimuli present when trying to concentrate on one stimulus will result in those items competing for your attention. Put simply, if there’s too much going on in your view, you will need to concentrate harder to get a task done.
However, clutter can be helpful, depending on how you like to work. Creative people may benefit from ‘organised chaos’, or may simply enjoy having all the tools and visuals that support their work nearby.
An overly sanitised desk space can also feel distracting in itself, so you may benefit from choosing a few visual items that make you feel comfortable, such as a plant or a meaningful photograph.
Benefits of tidying your workspace
If you find your area of work is distracting, you can experience multiple benefits from tidying your space. These include:
Creating more physical space so you can better accomplish the task
Experiencing a sense of accomplishment from tidying, which will motivate you in the task at hand
Providing time to subconsciously think or plan the task you are about to engage in, and approach it in a better, more logical way
However, do you ever find yourself putting off a task, and cleaning instead? It’s easy to put off tasks that require us to step out of our comfort zone, and defer to an easier task such as cleaning the dishes or stacking papers.
If you experience this, give yourself a time limit for cleaning. It’s natural to feel anxious about approaching a daunting task, and the act of tackling an easier one can actually be beneficial when you finally sit down to work through the more strenuous task. Just try not to get caught up procrastinating in the easy task forever!
7 ways to improve your mental health by getting organised
If you would like to improve your productivity, focus, and clarity when working through different tasks, you may benefit from getting organised - and that’s both around your desk, and also on your desktop!
Here are seven ways you can improve your mental wellbeing through organisational tasks:
Discover the joys of minimalism, and reduce how much your buy, as well as declutter your existing space
Set yourself a healthy sleep routine for a more productive working day, and hours outside of work
Implement time management strategies to reduce procrastination and improve productivity
Take up regular exercise for improved connection to your physical body, and social connections
Learn how to manage your emails better, and reduce stress and overwhelm associated with your inbox
Take control of your time spent on social media and learn how to improve your relationship with the digital world
Download our Mindfulness Ecourses to help you feel calmer, happier and empowered to regularly nurture your health and wellbeing.