We have come to the final step in our "Achieving Holistic Health" series, and you may be a little surprised by this one... Can living more simply truly make you healthier?
In fact, being surrounded by clutter and an abundance of "stuff" can indeed have a negative impact on your health. Many people who have embraced "minimalist" living have discovered this for themselves. A messy and cluttered environment causes mental stress, and becoming very attached to the external trappings of life may keep you from fully appreciating and experiencing the simple pleasures in the world around you.
By letting go of the things you don't truly need and simplifying your living environment, you can find greater peace of mind, reduce stress, lower your blood pressure, and even sleep better!
Below are a few more reasons to simplify your life - and some tips for doing so.
In fact, being surrounded by clutter and an abundance of "stuff" can indeed have a negative impact on your health. Many people who have embraced "minimalist" living have discovered this for themselves. A messy and cluttered environment causes mental stress, and becoming very attached to the external trappings of life may keep you from fully appreciating and experiencing the simple pleasures in the world around you.
By letting go of the things you don't truly need and simplifying your living environment, you can find greater peace of mind, reduce stress, lower your blood pressure, and even sleep better!
Below are a few more reasons to simplify your life - and some tips for doing so.
As this article states, "one of the most powerful acts of personal healing is to take the physical clutter in one’s life and do away with it consciously and happily."
This truth has been known for centuries in spiritual traditions around the world. Typically, a place for meditation or ritual that was considered holy would be a very clean and minimalist space. These spaces would traditionally be physically cleaned or "cleansed" before a spiritual blessing or rite.
The process of physically cleaning alone helps you to let go of attachments and experience a sense peace and satisfaction. Not to mention, with less "stuff" around to clean, you won't have as much housework to take care of - I know that would sure make me happy! :-)
Removing excess clutter from your life frees up your mind as well as your time, and is an outward reflection of your internal holistic health.
Not sure where to start? Here are a few tips for getting rid of clutter and creating a more healthy and peaceful space in which to live and work:
1. The Closet
We all tend to accumulate clothing that somehow disappears into the back of our closet and is never worn again. Start by pulling everything out, and divide it into categories based on how often you wear it. Get rid of anything you haven't worn in the past year (unless it is for a specific occasion which you already have on the calendar), or anything that no longer fits. Put all these items in bags to donate to Goodwill or another charity. And don't forget about shoes! If you have your shoes spread all over the house, get a shoe organizer and keep all of your shoes in one place where you can see them all. Donate those that you no longer wear or are tired of.
2. The Pantry
Isn't it annoying when you are trying to cook dinner and you can't find that box of pasta that you KNOW you bought last week? It's time to clean out the pantry!
Pull out everything (yes, everything) and organize it by type of food (e.g. pasta, rice, canned goods, snacks, etc.), then dedicate specific shelves for each type of item.
If you have a lot of spices like I do, a hanging spice rack is a great investment. It can often fit on the inside of the pantry or cabinet door, thus saving space while making it easy to find the spice you need when you need it. (Organize them alphabetically if you have a lot.)
You can also ditch the bulky packaging and store rice, pasta, beans, and other dry goods in Mason jars or other glass containers with air-tight lids. They'll look attractive on your shelves while saving space. (Consider buying these items in bulk - you'll save money and cut down on wasteful packaging.) Go through your food storage containers and throw out any old Tupperware that is missing lids or looking worn. Plastics degrade over time, and may leach chemicals into your food when they get old - especially if they have been used for heating food. Get rid of any plastic containers that have been used in the microwave.
I think you'll find that decluttering the pantry makes for a much more enjoyable cooking (and eating) experience!
3. Around the House
The best way to have a clutter-free home is to make sure you have a designated place for everything. Keep an eye out for stuff that tends to collect in certain areas (shoes - see above, mail, and outerwear are common culprits), and then designate a specific place for these items - and make it a habit to put them there. Get rid of excess knick-knacks or anything you don't use anymore. If you're always losing your wallet, keys, or sunglasses, designate a "catch-all" basket or bowl near the door for these items to keep them organized and out of the way but still easy to find.
4. Your Computer
Do you have 200 different icons on your desktop? While this isn't exactly "physical" clutter, the effect on your mental health is the same. The digital age has brought us so many "virtual" places to store clutter! Set aside half an hour (an hour is even better) every week to work on going through your digital files and organizing them. Delete files you no longer need or use, old bookmarks, and out-of-date information. For the files you keep, you can store many of these in the cloud these days to free up space on your computer. It may be a boring task, but you'll feel so much better without all that old stuff hanging around every time you log on!
5. Your Desk
A cluttered desk keeps you constantly distracted and reduces productivity. Take a few minutes to clean up your desk - organize all of your office supplies, use a file organizer to keep your physical files neat and tidy, and use zip ties or twist ties to keep cords and cables neat and out of the way. Once you've completed this task, you'll find you can get more out of your workday by starting it off with a clean desk every morning. Just take 5 minutes to tidy up before leaving work for the day, and you'll be surprised how much better you feel when you start work in the morning!
Besides decluttering your home and office, you can further simplify your life by making a concerted effort not to buy things you don't need in the first place. If you tend to be an impulse shopper, make yourself wait 24 hours before buying something you think you want. If you still want it the next day, consider what the benefits are, whether you will really use it, and how often, before you make the purchase.
Achieving holistic health is not as difficult or overwhelming as it might seem at first glance. Take small steps, like reducing the processed food in your diet, incorporating "Meatless Monday" into your meal schedule, eating more fruits and vegetables and living foods, spending a few minutes more outside each day, incorporating more physical activity into your daily routine, meditating for a few minutes before bed each night, and gradually removing the clutter from your home and office space. You don't have to do all these things at once - just commit to one small change each week, and you will likely notice a change in your physical and mental health, energy, and overall happiness and well being in just a few weeks!
You can achieve holistic health no matter your age, shape, size, or background. All it takes is a conscious decision to make healthier and more balanced choices each day.
To your (holistic) health,
Rose.
This truth has been known for centuries in spiritual traditions around the world. Typically, a place for meditation or ritual that was considered holy would be a very clean and minimalist space. These spaces would traditionally be physically cleaned or "cleansed" before a spiritual blessing or rite.
The process of physically cleaning alone helps you to let go of attachments and experience a sense peace and satisfaction. Not to mention, with less "stuff" around to clean, you won't have as much housework to take care of - I know that would sure make me happy! :-)
Removing excess clutter from your life frees up your mind as well as your time, and is an outward reflection of your internal holistic health.
Not sure where to start? Here are a few tips for getting rid of clutter and creating a more healthy and peaceful space in which to live and work:
1. The Closet
We all tend to accumulate clothing that somehow disappears into the back of our closet and is never worn again. Start by pulling everything out, and divide it into categories based on how often you wear it. Get rid of anything you haven't worn in the past year (unless it is for a specific occasion which you already have on the calendar), or anything that no longer fits. Put all these items in bags to donate to Goodwill or another charity. And don't forget about shoes! If you have your shoes spread all over the house, get a shoe organizer and keep all of your shoes in one place where you can see them all. Donate those that you no longer wear or are tired of.
2. The Pantry
Isn't it annoying when you are trying to cook dinner and you can't find that box of pasta that you KNOW you bought last week? It's time to clean out the pantry!
Pull out everything (yes, everything) and organize it by type of food (e.g. pasta, rice, canned goods, snacks, etc.), then dedicate specific shelves for each type of item.
If you have a lot of spices like I do, a hanging spice rack is a great investment. It can often fit on the inside of the pantry or cabinet door, thus saving space while making it easy to find the spice you need when you need it. (Organize them alphabetically if you have a lot.)
You can also ditch the bulky packaging and store rice, pasta, beans, and other dry goods in Mason jars or other glass containers with air-tight lids. They'll look attractive on your shelves while saving space. (Consider buying these items in bulk - you'll save money and cut down on wasteful packaging.) Go through your food storage containers and throw out any old Tupperware that is missing lids or looking worn. Plastics degrade over time, and may leach chemicals into your food when they get old - especially if they have been used for heating food. Get rid of any plastic containers that have been used in the microwave.
I think you'll find that decluttering the pantry makes for a much more enjoyable cooking (and eating) experience!
3. Around the House
The best way to have a clutter-free home is to make sure you have a designated place for everything. Keep an eye out for stuff that tends to collect in certain areas (shoes - see above, mail, and outerwear are common culprits), and then designate a specific place for these items - and make it a habit to put them there. Get rid of excess knick-knacks or anything you don't use anymore. If you're always losing your wallet, keys, or sunglasses, designate a "catch-all" basket or bowl near the door for these items to keep them organized and out of the way but still easy to find.
4. Your Computer
Do you have 200 different icons on your desktop? While this isn't exactly "physical" clutter, the effect on your mental health is the same. The digital age has brought us so many "virtual" places to store clutter! Set aside half an hour (an hour is even better) every week to work on going through your digital files and organizing them. Delete files you no longer need or use, old bookmarks, and out-of-date information. For the files you keep, you can store many of these in the cloud these days to free up space on your computer. It may be a boring task, but you'll feel so much better without all that old stuff hanging around every time you log on!
5. Your Desk
A cluttered desk keeps you constantly distracted and reduces productivity. Take a few minutes to clean up your desk - organize all of your office supplies, use a file organizer to keep your physical files neat and tidy, and use zip ties or twist ties to keep cords and cables neat and out of the way. Once you've completed this task, you'll find you can get more out of your workday by starting it off with a clean desk every morning. Just take 5 minutes to tidy up before leaving work for the day, and you'll be surprised how much better you feel when you start work in the morning!
Besides decluttering your home and office, you can further simplify your life by making a concerted effort not to buy things you don't need in the first place. If you tend to be an impulse shopper, make yourself wait 24 hours before buying something you think you want. If you still want it the next day, consider what the benefits are, whether you will really use it, and how often, before you make the purchase.
Achieving holistic health is not as difficult or overwhelming as it might seem at first glance. Take small steps, like reducing the processed food in your diet, incorporating "Meatless Monday" into your meal schedule, eating more fruits and vegetables and living foods, spending a few minutes more outside each day, incorporating more physical activity into your daily routine, meditating for a few minutes before bed each night, and gradually removing the clutter from your home and office space. You don't have to do all these things at once - just commit to one small change each week, and you will likely notice a change in your physical and mental health, energy, and overall happiness and well being in just a few weeks!
You can achieve holistic health no matter your age, shape, size, or background. All it takes is a conscious decision to make healthier and more balanced choices each day.
To your (holistic) health,
Rose.
RSS Feed