Often, we allow our growing to-do list to overwhelm us, creating a wall that stops us from even thinking clearly about cleaning the whole house or organizing our closets. This wall ultimately sabotages our ability to follow through or complete projects. What can you do to tackle this issue of feeling overwhelmed by everything you want to get done?
Here are a few tasks that we focus on during organizing sessions with clients. These are simple mindful methods you can use on your own to get your mind on track for the project ahead.
Self-check
Draw your awareness inwards for a moment. Are you feeling anxious, depressed, doubtful, maxed out, shameful? Clients often request cleaning and/or organizing services while they are feeling some of these extreme feelings, and that’s ok. Once you become aware of how you are starting this process and how it is affecting your motivation, attention, and focus, you can work on making changes.
Prioritize & simplify
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, get clear about priorities. Assess the value of each task on that to-do list and the effort needed to complete it. Make a list of what absolutely needs to be done to complete your main goal and simplify your list. Maybe start with higher-priority, lower-effort tasks to build momentum. Read more about simplifying your day.
Focus on one task
Once you recognize the high priority tasks to be done, choose one task at the top of your list. Work only on that. When you are finished with it, move to the next task.
Think ahead
Once you are in a good place and have good momentum and progress, you can more easily think ahead. What can you do the night before the next organizing session? Give yourself some homework. Write a short To Do list that you can chip away at during the week before you dive in deeper on the weekend.
Make notes
Don’t try to remember every detail about your goals and lists — chances are you will forget some things and get anxious all over again. Have sticky notes handy or make notes on your phone with reminders.
Remember you are human
Many of us experience feelings of guilt or shame when we have difficulty beginning or finishing tasks. We all have days when we are so exhausted, we just simply cannot put the laundry away or tidy up the kids’ rooms. That’s ok! It is important to remember that you are entitled to have a day where you do go to bed early or just take a hot bath with a glass of wine. Tomorrow is a new day. You can pick back up then.
There are so many forces in our lives that threaten to wreak havoc on our body and minds. That’s why Feather & Nest exists at the intersection between the mind, body, and your physical environment.