I believe a part of clean living is having less to worry about. Streamlining. To me this has always been a part of my life. I can’t have too many things going on at the same time, chaos at my house, drama with friends or clutter.
I have learned that I function best when my house is in order. If my house is running smoothly, meaning that my family is happy, my animals are well taken care of and I have no drama with friends or unresolved issues, then I am able to focus on other things like creating, connecting, encouraging and teaching. You may feel this if you can’t go to bed at night until the kitchen is clean!
So, two key words are simplicity and declutter. Have you ever walked into someone’s house and wonder how they can live like that? I know I have. I can’t seem to think when my own house is messy and not picked up. I actually mopped the floors before I wrote this! When my house is free from clutter, I can feel more free to create, entertain, network, workout, study or enjoy my house.
Here are some ways to streamline your life.
Clean out your closet and donate to groups that can really use your clothes like
Dress for Success. I just did this and found that I had been stressing over what to wear as I didn’t know if things still fit. When it is out of my sight, I don’t even think about it. I chose options that are in front of me so getting rid of clothes that don’t work, too young, too tight, too revealing… helps me make a quicker decision because I know that what I pick from my closet, will fit!
Now here is where I want you to have more…Have the pantry and refrigerator stocked with healthy options for a week. If you only have healthy options to choose from, then there is no stress of make a bad food choice and the resulting consequences (either guilt or feeling sick). I actually eat very simply every day. I don’t make complicated meals. I incorporate a salad into one meal a day with a good protein for most dinners.
Focus on buying less. When I lived in my tiny apartment in New York City, I was around so many great options of things to buy BUT I knew that I didn’t have any room, so my rule was if I bought something new, then I had to take something out and give it away. This kept me from overloading not only my mind, but my tiny space with too much. We tend to want to fill in vacuums so rejoice if you have a tiny closet!
Keep your files up to date and your bookkeeping so it isn’t a big deal at the end of each year. Also unsubscribe from unwanted newsletters. We can all waste too much time on those emails. Some are great, but if you keep ignoring others, scroll to the bottom and hit unsubscribe. Remember, out of sight, out of mind!
And lastly, my favorite… simplify your cleaning products. There seems to be a cleaning product for each item in your house. Don’t buy it! Instead, find all-purpose clean cleaning products and use them for most of your cleaning. Also, when I see something is dirty in my house, I clean it right away and then don’t have to circle back later having to remember to get to it.
I hope this helps you cut down on stress by streamlining your life!