As the “holiday season” unfolds all around us, are you feeling joyful? Or perhaps it’s more like anxious? This time of year can be stressful for many reasons, one being the disorganization of your house and belongings.
How do you feel when:
- you try to find something in your room/house/space and can’t?
- want to invite guests over but are too embarrassed by the clutter?
- waste money re-purchasing items because you can’t find the original?
- you are completely defeated by your stuff?
Perhaps frustrated, stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, burdened, helpless, defeated and/or stuck come to mind? For most of us, none of these feelings are comfortable or desirable. Our mental health is compromised when we feel this way for too long.
One way to combat some of these feelings is to get organized in order gain control of our belongings and space so we can better control our emotions and mental health. To be clear, in no way are we saying that organizing replaces, or has the same effect as, medical intervention/treatment for serious mental health issues. Rather, getting organized becomes one of many tools we can use to move us closer to a state of equilibrium and ease.
According to several studies, less organization in the home can lead to higher instances of fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Rather then restorative and restful, the home feels like a combat zone, complete with unfinished projects and a multitude of “failures” all around.
Under stress, our bodies start producing the hormone cortisol, a steroid hormone that regulates a wide range of bodily functions. When we have too much cortisol in our system, fatigue, depression, anxiety, irritability loss of emotional control, cognitive difficulties, new or worsened high blood pressure, and headaches increase.
Knowing this, why is it so hard to get, and stay, organized?
Because it just is. It is challenging to make time, and muster up the energy, to organize. But if you can start, even with just one step, it feels amazing and usually you want to keep going. However, not everyone can do it alone and that is when professionals can help. Recognizing that “just starting” is not always possible, we do the “start “ part, and the rest unfolds as it should. Trusting the organizational process is a big step.
“Lighter”, “clearer” “freer” “relieved” are often the words that clients share with us during and after the organizing process. That sense of having more control over one’s stuff is palpable. Working collaboratively with our clients, without bias or judgment, we regularly see positive transformations taking place through organizing, transformations that can reduce stress levels and boost mental health.
If you, or someone you care about, is struggling with their mental health, organizing can help ease things. At Ease Up Organizing, we are always here to facilitate your organizing needs to support healthier and “easier” living.
About the Author
Having caught the organizational bug early on trying to “balance” things out as an elite gymnast, Jessica Tudos brings a diverse set of skills and experiences to her role as a professional organizer. Drawing from her global work as an experiential educator, author, and motivational speaker, Jessica is on a mission to empower people to lead healthy, creative and organized lives.