Human Resources : Office Culture

The Benefits of Organizing Your Space and Life


What are the health benefits of organizing your space and your life?

There are many benefits to maintaining an organized environment. Besides being more efficient (i.e., finding things more quickly) and more productive (i.e., completing tasks fully and on time), living in an organized home or office space allows one to be more stress free. It's no secret what stress can do to the body. One of the biggest side effects of stress is high blood pressure. Stress also affects your critical thinking ability, how well you sleep, and can even make you more susceptible to illnesses. Less stress = happier, more productive life.

Top Five Recommendations

1. Set Organizing Goals. Figure out what you want to accomplish, and put those items in order of priority. Sometimes it feels like our whole house needs help, and it might. However, there are likely to be specific areas that bother you the most. Start with those areas first.

2. Figure Out Your Peak Performance Time. Do you know when you are most productive? Are you an evening or morning person? When do you feel the most alert? Finding out when you perform at your best will help you to complete tasks more efficiently and with greater success.

3. Figure Out Your Learning Style. Finding out if you're a visual, auditory, or tactile (or combination) learner will help you to understand why it may be more challenging for you to do certain tasks. In addition, your space can be structured so that it matches your learning style which will increase your success with maintaining order.

4. Plan Your Time Wisely. Schedule organizing tasks by putting them on your calendar with time frames. Be realistic about how long it will take you to complete a specific task, and then do a little bit each day. If you spend just 10-15 minutes each day attacking a cluttered area of your home, you will get some organizing accomplished, and yet not feel overwhelmed. After your 10 or 15 minutes are up (no more than 30 minutes), go about your usual day. If you've devoted a whole day to organizing, work in 30-60 minute sessions and take a 10 minute break before returning for another 30-60 minute session.

5. Relax! Once you feel motivated to keep up with your organizing tasks, you may forget one very important thing - YOU! We all lead very busy lives, and have families that need our attention, too. So, don't forget to take breaks, to laugh, get a facial, take your vitamins, go for walks, take a vacation, make a healthy meal, etc. In other words, relax, have fun, and enjoy your life! When you're having fun, there's very little room for stress to take up your valuable time.


Comments
Tue, Sep 2 2008 5:05 PM

Good article! Particularly useful for someone who is running a home based business.

 

Thu, Sep 4 2008 12:39 AM

I think Americans overthink things, and this is an example of that. But it is well written, and useful, if you happen to like over thinking :)

Thu, Sep 4 2008 12:41 AM

Or have too much "stuff" - physically and mentally. Which I know I do....

Thu, Sep 4 2008 8:31 AM

Sian: 

Thanks for commenting on my article.  Often times, when we are overwhelmed with too many things, it does help to "over think" or break down the issues into more manageable parts.  That way, we can dig ourselves out of the hole, if you will.  Over time, there's less "over thinking" and the process of maintaining order becomes more intuitive.

Thanks again for your feedback,

Deb

Page 1 of 1 (4 items)
Article Rating: 4 / 5

Votes: 3

Rate this Article

Post Comment
Printer Friendly Version