The 3 D’s to De-stress.
“Enough is enough!” I said to myself recently. The recipe collection in my kitchen drawer was one BIG mess and it took ages to find a recipe. I would Google a new one, print it off and then it would end up in the jumbled pile, never to be found again! I do have a set of recipe books lined up neatly on the sideboard, but usually I want to look up a ‘special’ recipe in the drawer.
So I spent almost a whole day, de-cluttering & re-organising the recipes, ruthlessly tossing out what I really didn’t want. Now it is SO quick & easy, to find the recipes I want.
This brings me to sharing with you the 3 D’s :– DE-CLUTTER, DETACH, DOWNSIZE. The common theme of the 3 D’s is all about simplifying and decreasing stress in different areas of your life.
De-Clutter: Every area of our life can do with a good de-clutter, when we start feeling stressed about the confusion that the clutter can create. For me that day, it was my recipe file. Other areas in our lives that can do with a de-clutter are :- Our wardrobes. Did you know that we only wear 20% of our wardrobe 80% of the time? I must admit that I find it harder to be ruthless, getting rid of wardrobe that I hardly/never wear. It’s not just a female thing; my husband hates getting rid of clothes he hardly wears! Other areas that need to be de-cluttered are:- the pantry & fridge of outdated products; the garage; the overgrown garden; the study. Moving house involves a BIG de-clutter, which we have done a few times over the past 45years. Why spend time packing things that don’t mean much anymore & paying higher removalist costs.
Detach: For de-cluttering & downsizing to work properly, it is important to let go of attachments that no longer add to the quality of your life. Ask yourself what is the benefit of keeping stuff that you don’t use and are taking up space. Tell yourself that de-cluttering will help to de-stress your life, keep you healthier, clear the way for the new to come into your life. When you no longer use or need certain things in your house or wardrobe, you can donate them to organisations that can pass them onto others who can benefit.
Downsizing: Some people want to simplify their lifestyles in retirement, so that they can enjoy their new-found freedom, by moving to a smaller place (and having less housework!). If you have detached and de-cluttered effectively, downsizing will go so much more smoothly.
If you found this helpful you might enjoy my book- “Dealing With Life’s Changes”
