3 Ways to Enter the New Year Feeling More Mentally Organized
Welcome to 2022! Can we toast that we made it here?
As you embark on living your best life in the new year, you may have given thought to a resolution many Americans make- getting more organized. According to a December 2021 survey by Evernote, getting organized ranked in the top 3 resolutions for Americans right behind health and finances.
Given the way last year unfolded, it’s no wonder we are feeling a little more cluttered both physically and mentally. The good news, though, is that as organization experts, we at Carver Concierge, have some simple ways to help you conquer your organization resolutions. If you are thinking this will just be more of “if you haven’t worn it in a year, throw it out” or “make daily lists,” we’re going to explore unique ways to find a little zen in 2022. Make a cup of tea or pour a glass of wine and take in these ideas for mental organization that will make way for better physical organization and for your general well being.
- Do a monthly digital declutter.
Photos. Personal and work emails. Social media accounts. Video calls. We are bombarded on the daily with a deluge of digital information transfer and resulting digital clutter. The time you’ll save looking for documents or funneling through pictures or information that is taking up space will be well worth your time investment.
A few items you should put on your to-do for your digital declutter include:
● Unsubscribing from email lists which no longer serve you.
● Clearing your phone and computer downloads to free memory space.
● Filing downloaded or created documents you need into folders.
● Eliminating any apps you are no longer using.
● Sprucing up your social space by removing yourself from invaluable groups and pages and disconnecting from individuals with whom you really have no connection.
- Mind your mind.
According to the Journal of Experimental Psychology, intrusive thoughts deplete our working memory and cognitive resources. Busy professionals and people with active lifestyles naturally carry around a fairly heavy mental load between work, home, and travel. Conserving mental resources for high-stakes responsibilities is important to maintaining mental harmony.
You can find a lot of mental peace by engaging some simple practices:
● Limit the amount of information coming into your mind. Our first suggestion of a digital declutter should help immensely here. Other suggestions also include turning off the television and putting down the phone at least an hour before bed to help your mind begin to wind down from the stimulation of our digital world.
● Step away from the work for short bursts and move. Even if it’s ten minutes to get outside and walk around the office or sitting outside by a water feature for a 5 minute mental break and taking some deep breaths, your mind will thank you.
● Spend at least an hour a week with a hobby or mentally charging activity. Maybe you love to cook, read, or draw. By giving your mind the space to enjoy time for what makes you feel good, you will find benefits across work productivity and personal relationships. We all act and do better when we take time for self-care.
3. Outsource what doesn’t make you money or bring you joy.
At Carver Concierge, this has been one of our mottos. If something you are doing is not rewarding you financially or emotionally, it’s time to let it go. It seems simple enough, right?
Start by making a list for a few days of how you spend your waking hours- list everything from walking the dog twice a day to driving to the grocery store twice and spending a few hours between those trips to organizing your upcoming work travel. Assess if your time is most valuable in these tasks.
Chances are you are doing tasks which are robbing your time, productivity, and joy. Take these time-depleting tasks off your plate, and let us, and other professionals do what we do best, so you can get back to what you do best.
Use these strategies to ease mind congestion and find more fulfillment in 2022 at work, at home, and within your relationships and to set the right mental framework to tackle your physical space organization.
