HEALTH + WELLNESS
Declutter and Destress cont...
has been shown to reduce anxiety on a major level. A study designed especially to measure this link found that people who were mindful when doing the washing up- taking time to smell the detergent and think about the outcome of their actions- reported a 27 % reduction in nervousness, along with a 25 % improvement in‘ mental inspiration’; washing-up is the key to keeping calm and carrying on it seems- who knew?
For many people not feeling their best- perhaps struggling with depression, having welcomed a new baby, experiencing relationship difficulties at home, or more simply but just as destructively having a chaotic, very busy life- the concept of cleanliness and decluttering can seem like an overwhelming task that is simply outside of their reach. Many of us wrestle with whether or not cleaning should be a priority, but knowing that having a clearer environment will help improve your mood and make your life more peaceful overall might make it worth pursuing.
START SMALL
It’ s normal to put off cleaning because the task at hands seems insurmountable. Instead of expecting to get the entire house into order in one weekend, however, start small and do just a little bit each day. Pick one thing you want to do each day- sorting out your post; cleaning the bathroom, toilet and sink; getting a full wash clean and dry; tidying your wardrobe- and make sure you follow through. The key is not to make your to-do list bigger than what you can mentally handle, or you’ ll increase your stress rather than reduce it, so be realistic and start with what you can manage.
SET A TIMER
If you know you’ re the type of person that won’ t stick to a manageable daily to-do list, insisting on‘ just one more’ task until you’ re exhausted, try timing the clean instead. Prioritise a 30-minute window, set a timer and then start in the primary living area of your home, picking up things that are lying on the floor or cluttering the bookshelves, and put them away. When the timer goes off, you are done for the day; you’ ll accomplish a lot more than you might imagine, so get what you can done and then you can move on with the rest of your day.
ASK FOR HELP
If you’ ve reached a point where you know that the decluttering routine needed to get you back on track isn’ t something you can handle on your own, it’ s time to lean on friends and family. Asking for help is hard, but if you do just ask, you’ ll find most people are willing, so talk to your partner, enlist your kids, or ask a friend or family member if they can support you getting organised … a problem shared is a problem halved, after all.
If none of this appeals, you don’ t have the time, or the thought of even beginning such a mammoth task is overwhelming- never fear. Off the back of Instagram’ s army of‘ Hinchers’ and Stacey Solomon’ s hit TV show, Sort Your Life Out, decluttering has never been more current and the demand for external experts to help with or fully undertake such projects has reached fever pitch.
There’ s thousands across the UK and many right here in Kent, so if you’ re ready to take a leap of faith and hand the decluttering and organisation of your home over to a team of professionals, look no further than these sorting gurus who’ ll have your home spick and span in no time.
Home Organisation Specialists in Kent!
Home Edited( As seen on pages 152-153!) Countywide homeedited. co. uk
The Home Detox Deal thehomedetox. co. uk
All Organised Sevenoaks all-organised. co. uk
Smart Decluttering Solutions Ashford smartdeclutteringsolutions. co. uk
Falcon Home Organisers Canterbury falconhomeorganisers. co. uk
130 • www. insidekent. co. uk