This time of year is can easily become overwhelming.

 

With clean up from Thanksgiving, preparations for Christmas, New Year’s, and/or your holidays of choice, there are a lot of to-do lists, to-hang lists, to-get lists, etc, etc and life can easily become cluttered and messy. I find the “things” pile up and the stress levels rise. No amount of Mariah Carey, peppermint mochas, or holiday reels is going to remove it without actually, you know, getting things done. One clear, simple, and basic step you can take is to simply declutter or “straighten up.”

 

We made a distinction with Calvin that I have found to be quite useful for myself. Cleaning up means getting everything back to where it came from and ensure that everything is in its right place. Straightening up means clearing the floor, removing the “dirty” things (cups, plates, clothes), and basic organizing. It does not mean long term clean nor does it mean “hide the mess.” Its simply a way to clear a space to work or think within.

 

I have found that simply straightening up the rooms of our house or even just one room or even just your desk can have a major impact on your mindset and ability to tackle bigger projects.

 

First, when you have a huge to do list, it can be daunting to figure out where to start. Organizing and tidying up becomes the first step. Its a checked off item on the list and now you’re moving with momentum into your next task.

 

Second, once you de-clutter, you can see what you’re doing and where the tools you need are actually located. I hate searching for tools mid project or coming to a screeching halt because I cannot find something I need. Clearing a space, collecting tools, and moving things to either where they belong permanently or a temporary (but organized) location will help you move faster on your other tasks.

 

Third, it will give you a clean slate to start and, more importantly, to end. Once you’ve knocked items off your to do list or simply reached the end of a day, nothing is going to prevent you from relaxing or unwinding more than physical reminders of the to-do list that you are trying to push from your mind. Piles of laundry to be folded, papers to be sorted, presents to wrap, the list goes on but so do the reminders.

 

Find a place for those reminders, organize them so you can access them but keep them out of your line of sight. This may mean designating a room or a staging area. Those places are messy but they should become places of productivity. I wish my office was a lot neater and its an ongoing effort but I’d rather my office have visible action items than my bedroom.

 

Its not about a complete deep clean. After all, this post started by listing all the other things there are to do! De-cluttering is about clearing space, creating a vector of productivity, and setting the stage to get your other “to-do” list items done.

 

In the immortal words of Levar Burton: “You don’t have to take my word for it.” There is plenty of research to back up this idea.

 

The Impact of Organizational Stress and Burnout on Client Engagement by Brittany Landrum, M.S., Danica K. Knight, Ph.D., and Patrick M. Flynn, Ph.D.

 

and 

 

Organizational Stress and Its Impact on Work Performance by Mirela bucurean and Costin Madalina-Adriana

 

These studies may be able work performance and the work place but we are considering our homes and personal spaces to be places of productivity as well.

 

It boils down to moving something from where it should not be to a place where it can stay out of the way but available until you can fully clean. Simply organize, remove, and de-clutter.

 

If you do not know where to start, grab the first thing that is out of place and put it somewhere else. Then, grab the next thing and before you know it you’re on your way!