De-clutter & de-stress
Being stressed is most often the consequence of stressful events or too much pressure and requires remedial action at the source of origin.
Streamlining and de-cluttering your life can be a simple yet very effective way of reducing stress. A work place strewn with papers and mess can significantly add to the feeling of being out of control and hemmed in, while an organised, calm and clear work space can create a feeling of order and control which acts as a direct mediator of the stress/strain relationship.
Try the following steps for a week and see how it impacts on your well-being:
Stand back and evaluate your work space; identify which area is most critical to your work flow, areas required for actual work space and also, those areas that could be out of sight, methodical storage.
Remove all obsolete materials. Organise and consolidate current resources and tools. Identify solutions for this by considering trays, files, racks and hooks.
Work out systems to process incoming work so that your work space stays open and clear.
Consider the area you work in. If necessary re-organise the furniture so as to facilitate a better work flow.
Create an easily-visible space that either has a vision board, photo or any object that reminds you of a goal and the reward it will bring.
These 5 steps may appear overtly simplistic. They may be so in principle but a quick glance at most works spaces will demonstrate they are not in practice.
Make the difference yourself, for yourself by taking this challenge. Implement these changes and then commit just 15 minutes of each working day to re-storing order.
By the end of the week you will notice the order and calm it allows for, as will your colleagues. Start with your work space, enjoy the benefits and then consider rolling out the de-cluttering approach to those areas in your home that create that same sense of disorder and lack of control. Increasingly the boundary between work and life is being blurred so creating the same sense of order and calm in your home offers similar benefits.
By this simple act of you assuming control of your work space, you are demonstrating your ability to assume control which is an intrinsic but effective way of helping to moderate your stress levels.