Most of the time when we think about decluttering, we think of cleaning off our kitchen counters, organizing our workspaces, and finding the space we need in our closets. But lately, I find myself drained, tired, and overwhelmed to the point where it’s difficult to tackle my household and family needs because I’m depleted both mentally and emotionally. This led me to begin searching for ways to declutter mental stress and to reclaim my energy!
I read a recent blog by Patrice Washington who says “It’s your job to teach people how to treat you.” This I know for sure: You can’t do this by sitting around hoping that others will “get the picture” and recognize what you need.
So here are some Key Action Tips to Reclaiming Your Energy!
Action Tip One:
Protect your energy by saying, “NO!” That’s right…say it with me, “N-O, NO!” Before you can begin decluttering the unnecessary stressors in your life, you must first start with not bringing any additional stress on yourself. Just because an idea sounds good, doesn’t mean that you have to say yes to doing it. Just because you want to be polite, doesn’t mean you have to agree to adding one more thing to your laundry list of things to-do. What activities or opportunities are you allowing to continuously find themselves on your calendar? Give yourself permission to Just Say No.
Action Tip Two:
Schedule time for yourself. For me, this is the key to my sanity. I realize that when I am often frenzied and anxious throughout the day, it is because I have gotten out of the habit of scheduling time for myself. Each morning, I begin my day with prayer, scripture, and meditation. It’s before I do ANYTHING ELSE for ANYBODY ELSE. I give myself the moment that I need to find peace and to foster mindfulness. I look over my schedule, and I organize my thoughts on the best ways to maximize my productivity for the day. It only takes 15-20 minutes of my time. But I’ve taken care of myself FIRST. And that’s what matters. What does scheduling time for yourself look like? Is it a cup of coffee in the morning? An inspirational podcast at lunch? An evening workout? A meditation walk? Find time each day and block out that time on your calendar for yourself.
Action Tip Three:
Do a FRIEND-entory. Yeah, and you probably need to add some family members to that list as well. The truth is, many of our friends and family can take every ounce of our energy. As harsh as it may sound, it’s important that you begin asking the right questions about the people who you are allowing to take up mental space and emotional energy in your life.
1-Who are they?
2- What are they doing?
3-Where are they going?
The answers to these questions should line up with the answers that you would give if you asked the same questions about yourself. If your friends aren’t sharing similar dreams, traits, and life plans, it’s time to reevaluate the emphasis that they have in your life. It doesn’t mean that you stop talking to them or checking on them, but it does mean that you find ways to schedule them into your life versus scheduling your life around them and their needs.
Here’s a BONUS TIP: Try this same practice with evaluating your friends and who you are following on your social media sites. Your feed should not be full of someone’s disrespectful words and ignorance just because they were in your ninth grade World History class. Unfriend or unfollow that person if they are bringing negative energy in your life.
What’s next?
START NOW! It’s that simple. Start today with putting these key action tips into practice. Remember, it takes practice to develop a habit.
For more details about decluttering and simplifying your life, follow @tiffanyblass on Twitter and Simple Organization Facebook page.
🙂
Tiffany
#teacherpreneur
Simple Organization 