As an entrepreneur, business owner, or freelancer, you probably feel overwhelmed all the time. Every day is full of important tasks, big projects, and personal errands that you can no longer put off. And that’s just the beginning of your never-ending to-do list.
The question is: where do you start?
While every situation is unique and several factors will play a role in how you organize your day, there is a scientific argument for tackling one of these tasks sooner, which is:
You should start by cleaning your desk.
Tidying up your desk (or office, or closet, or room) is a surprisingly easy way to exercise emotional intelligence, the ability to understand and control emotions. But what exactly are the mental and emotional benefits of clearing your desk? How can this help you feel better about the path ahead and help you make better decisions?
(If you find value in the “clean up your desk, clean up your life” principle, you may be interested in my Emotional Intelligence course, which has 20 more rules to help you develop your emotional intelligence. Check out the course here.)
The scientific case for cleaning up
The scientific case for cleaning up
When I recently listened to a lecture by a psychologist, a powerful statement stuck with me: To see also : Delta launches high-tech display on Detroit Metro with personal flight data.
“Landscapes cluttered by obstacles produce negative emotions.”
In other words, if we are trying to achieve something, any obstacle that stands in your way makes your task more difficult. That means the first step to getting your day in order — or sometimes even your life in order — is to start with the first obstacle.
That’s what makes clearing and organizing so effective – because every obstacle you avoid helps you think more clearly. In turn, clear thinking leads to emotional well-being. Plus, accomplishing clearing gives you confidence and motivation that you can carry.
There is tons of scientific research to support this conclusion. For example, consider the following:
Through techniques such as brain imaging, scientists at Princeton University have shown how a person’s visual cortex can become overwhelmed with clutter, making it difficult to concentrate. Conversely, when participants cleaned up their work environment, they were less irritated and distracted, and productivity increased.
A study by members of the psychology department at DePaul University found that clutter was the best predictor of procrastination in at least one measure and that it disrupts a strong quality of life.
In 2009, psychologists at UCLA found that subjects who felt their homes were very cluttered experienced more depressive feelings and that they had elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which researchers say can lead to negative health problems.
As you can see, cleaning up can have a positive impact on your thoughts, emotions, and decision-making. But how do you apply these lessons in your life?
Start small.
Start each day by taking a few minutes to organize your space. Or better yet, do this at the end of your day so you can start fresh the next day. See the article : The “Big Resignations” come to health jobs in Idaho. Do the same for your computer’s desktop. Later, you can take more time to do your office or your home.
Taking on a bigger task, such as organizing your office or even your home, may seem overwhelming… so start only with what you can handle. Concentrate on the parts of the areas you use the most. Use the five-minute rule to work on one small task at a time: promise yourself you’ll only do five minutes and stop when you feel like it. This is another psychological device that “tricks” your mind into getting started because the task now feels manageable, but oftentimes it leads to you getting a lot more done than you expected.
Schedule “maintenance” time.
Getting organized is one thing; staying organized is another. To see also : Music for general social fatigue: that’s why Ed Sheeran sells so much.
So why not schedule time each day to spend on “organizational maintenance”? You will find that just ten to fifteen minutes a day can do wonders for your productivity and mental health. In turn, this kind of daily maintenance makes cleaning up easier, so you don’t get challenged with a huge cleaning project that seems too overwhelming to begin.
Make cleaning fun.
This can “create social interaction and support around a task that most people don’t enjoy,” Sanders says. She also recommends introducing a ‘clean desk’ policy to keep the shared workspaces tidy; you can do the same for yourself or your own ‘teams’ at work and at home, including your family.
And what if all these suggestions seem too much?
Do what you can, one step at a time. Every action you take is another step forward, and that’s progress you can be proud of.
So if you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a few minutes to organize your space.
Because the less cluttered your desk, the less cluttered your head. By removing obstacles, you also remove negative emotions – and put yourself in a better condition to face the challenges ahead.
