It is easy to get overwhelmed by today’s fast-paced life and lose sight of what is important in life. An answer may be to simplify routine, reduce the clutter and find peace amidst the chaos.
For some, simplifying one’s life can mean organising their living space or workspace. And for others, it might mean taking care of themselves health-wise, and making time for activities that bring them joy.
At its core, decluttering one’s life is to decide what is important, and create a fulfilling existence over time.
Happiest Health lists a few complexities that are tough to recognise but are common in one’s life:
Enter a `nurturing lifestyle’
Manu Gogoi of Guwahati would often feel lazy, tired, and irritable throughout the day. As days passed, it only worsened. “I would hardly attend college and often got my friends to be my proxy,” she says. She would eat and sleep on time. Yet, “Even after waking up from an ideal seven to eight hours of sleep, I would be tired.” She was not able to figure out what was happening to her.
She gradually started eating healthy and working out. This reduced her irritability. “I became cheerful and would be attentive during classes.” Gogoi realised that she had gained in the process, moving from an unhealthy lifestyle to a healthy one.
Bengaluru-based counselling psychologist Arouba Kabir describes a `non-nurturing lifestyle’ as one where people are not mindful of what they do – such as not eating or drinking well, not exercising, or constantly comparing themselves with others.
It is critical to cultivate healthy dietary, exercise, and relationship habits as well as to make self-care and self-nurturing a daily practice.
Perils of neglecting oneself
Living a non-nurturing lifestyle can be detrimental to one’s physical and mental well-being. Lack of exercise and poor diet, combined with a disregard for one’s body, can result in a variety of health issues. Additionally, neglecting one’s mental health through a lack of social interaction and self-care can result in feelings of isolation and depression.
These negative effects can worsen over time, making it increasingly difficult to make positive changes and improve one’s overall quality of life.
A non-nurturing life can be circumstantial due to high stress or late-night jobs when one does not have the time or patience to eat healthily. But one should try to make extra time for oneself with a little planning, says Gupta.
A cluttered environment
Think about your surroundings. Is your home in disarray? Are there tonnes of papers piled up on your desk? Are you allowing others to leave a mess and clutter the area you share?
A cluttered environment can have a significant impact on one’s well-being. According to Kabir, cluttered spaces can lead to increased stress levels, difficulty focussing, and even depression. Being disorganised can make one feel overwhelmed and make it difficult to relax and unwind.
A messy environment can also contribute to poor physical health, as it can make it difficult to clean and maintain a healthy living space. A clean and organised environment can promote feelings of calmness and control, leading to improved mental and physical well-being.
According to Samira Gupta, Gurgaon based life coach, clutter outside creates a clutter inside the mind. Looking around messy things, when they encounter a mess, people often may not know where to begin the work.
“In a clean, organised, structured environment you are more productive because you are not focussing on the mess around. When everything is messy there is a subconscious level of scatteredness. Gathering things around you helps to gather your thoughts and emotions.”
Stress as a roadblock
Stress can be a hidden intangible clutter in most of our lives. It can come in the form of unplanned hectic days or not giving importance to personal and professional work. To eliminate stress from one’s life it is important to identify and tackle the stressors in time.
“Having a to-do list, making plans in advance, and keeping things ready are important so that stress levels are managed,” suggests Kabir. People can also try meditation, gratitude, or journalling.
“If one can manage stress, one definitely will have a better acceptance of things.”
Breaking a toxic relationship
In a toxic relationship, one person or both of them may exhibit negative behaviour like control, manipulation, and verbal and physical abuse. Such patterns of behaviour may make the other person feel continuously judged, diminished, and unworthy. As a result, individuals could experience issues with sadness, anxiety, and low self-esteem.
“Toxic relationships hold one back from being themselves. People walk on eggshells not knowing what is going to be their next issue. Any relationship that holds one back from reaching their true potential or does not encourage them to be themselves can be a toxic relationship,” says Kabir. She further says that it is important to have boundaries, to be communicative, assertive and be considerate to those around us.
Overcoming negativity
Negative thoughts and behaviour affect our well-being significantly. According to Kabir, “Negative people can also make it difficult for us to concentrate on our own difficulties and come up with answers by bringing down our spirits with their own issues.”
It is important to keep a positive outlook on life even if we associate ourselves with critical people. One should rise above complaining, gossiping, and criticising as they can drain our strength and make us feel hopeless and helpless.
