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Age > Responsibility > Stress
As I’ve aged, I’ve noticed that there is a positive correlation between responsibility and stress levels as you grow up. I’m grateful to have an array of interesting things on my plate right now, but the fact that it’s interesting doesn’t always keep it from being overwhelming.
A few days ago before I left for work, I was in my room trying to find an outfit to wear. It was one of those frantic episodes of items of clothing being thrown around until the perfect pieces were found.
Cleaning Out My Closet
During this madness, it finally hit me like a ton of bricks that I have way too much stuff (I have trouble letting go) and this simple fact is a contributing factor to stress I often feel. The reason for this is because, for a lot of my work, my room doubles as an office space. And, it’s hard to be fully focused on work when you have approximately 18 million things to look at across the room.
When I got to work, all I could think about was how I couldn’t wait to get home and start cleaning like crazy. While I like pretty much everything I own, some of it I hadn’t used or worn in years, so I figured it was time to let go.
Step 1 out of ?
By the time I was done, I had multiple bags of garbage as well as multiple bags of items to bring to Goodwill. This cleaning frenzy was only the start of a larger (and ongoing) project to reduce the material items that are bogging me down and, in turn, are causing me stress and distraction.
I’ve already noticed that my level of focus on my work is higher within this specific working space.
This is similar to when you let your work pile up and get away from you; it has a tendency to create an overwhelming feeling of stress. So, what’s my point in all of this? While it’s easier said than done, it is always good practice to be mindful of what you have versus what you need.
Things won’t always make you happy
We could all stand to be a little bit more focused on our mental health and well-being as opposed to constantly being focused on things and tasks.
If you need some more motivation as to simplifying your worldly possessions, check out the relationship between consumerism and trash.
#Minimalism
