In the world of space organization, there's an Indian legend passed down from generation to generation that says that lost socks don't disappear, but turn into food-can lids in a variety of colors...
Have you heard this legend before? Or perhaps it will clear up your doubts and answer some of your questions?
These doubts and questions are just some of the many thoughts that feed our mental load.
Mental workload and decision fatigue
What is the mental load?
Here is a translation of the definition given by the Office québécois de la langue française:
“Constant demand on a person's cognitive and emotional capacities, related to the planning, management and execution of a task or set of tasks.”
It is often associated with decision fatigue :
- Shall I start with the laundry or the dishes?
- What's for dinner?
- Do I buy white bread or wholemeal bread?
- I need to sort things out, but how?
- Shall I see Pauline or Maggie?
- Do I go on foot or by car?
- Should I wear a dress or a suit?
- Should I buy him an expensive eco-friendly toy or a cheap plastic one?
- Do I buy organic or unpackaged?
- Is this the right time to ask for a raise?
- Where are we going on vacation?
- Can I take a vacation?
AAAAAAAHHHHHHH !!!!!! HELP !!!!!!!
Do you know what I mean?
The mental load feeds decision fatigue and the eventual burnout that can lead to depression in some cases.
Like a glass too full, our mind overflows and can no longer contain everything, and the more we add, the more it overflows and ends up making us feel like we're drowning or suffocating.
Chaos sets in
Perhaps you've noticed that in difficult times, you're less inclined to maintain your home.
It's harder to motivate yourself to tidy up, clean up, organize... So you tell yourself it's no big deal, we'll do it later, and in the end the later never comes because so many other activities have been added and they increase the mess.
The messier it gets, the less motivated we are to take action. The task becomes too big, too heavy, and we're caught in a vicious circle...
Our home then seems as chaotic as our mind, which becomes more and more confused and our energy weaker and weaker.
An American study has shown that a woman's mental load is directly proportional to the number of objects she owns.
I'm convinced that male mental workload is also affected, but I don't know if this has been studied.
However, when we add to this another study which tells us that the average family owns 300,000 objects, it's hard to believe that our environment has no impact on our state of Being.
My home at my service
For many reasons, calling on a therapist can be difficult in a crisis situation, and if I told you that your home could play the role of therapist, what would you think?
Except that I'm crazy 🤪.
In psychoanalysis, the house is considered our 3rd envelope after the skin and clothing.
It reflects our unconscious and our state of being in relationship: with ourselves, our objects, our friends, our family.
By taking care of this ” reflection “ we take care of ourselves, and vice versa.
Okay, now you're going to say:
“That's very nice of you, but I don't have any juice, so I don't know where to start!”
I know, which is why we're going to eat the elephant one bite at a time.
The watchword is DISENCOMBRATE!
Sorting out
So you may be telling yourself that it's impossible, that everything you have is useful, even indispensable...
Wanna bet?
Well, no, we won't bet... I'm sure I'll win 😉.
There are hundreds of ways of sorting and de-cluttering your environment, some of which are easier with guidance, others of which can help you start the process.
The fabulous thing about lightening up is that, with time and experience, it becomes easier and easier and, above all, more and more enjoyable.
I've lost count of the number of customers who've told me that it's almost become a drug, so much so that they feel better in their skin, in their head and in their life as they let go of the stock.
Various options
- You can choose to go by category (clothes, dishes, toys, paperwork, etc.), grouping together ALL that's in the same category before you start sorting. This way, you'll have an overview and access to duplicates and broken pieces.
- You can choose to do it by room. You empty, clean and replace what you keep.
- You can do it alone, at your own pace, or as a family.
- You can give yourself a time challenge, for example 30 minutes a day.
- If you're creative and hate rules, you could go by colors... It's a bit more complex, but why not.
- Diffuse a scent you like, listen to your favorite music, plan a temporal reward (reading, rest, mediation, bath, walk, cuddle the cat, the dog, the darling 😉...)
The most important
However you choose to do it, there are 2 things I think are important.
- The first is to focus on what's important to you, what you want to keep, what makes you feel good.
- The second is a neuroscience principle that requires a little more self-connection: don't push yourself.
Don't try to do too much, just get on with the task in hand (this is important) and stay focused on how you feel. As long as it's pleasant, continue; when it becomes heavy, stop. The aim is to break the existing neural circle that has prevented you from doing this until now, so that you can retrain your brain to see that it's not necessarily unpleasant.
Regularity and connection to your feelings will mean that your action time will get longer and longer, and that your inner and outer spaces of well-being will gradually expand.
There are also dozens of decluttering games/challenges if you're a gamer, and you'll find several on the net.
You can also receive a document with games and tips for ” an interior ” by signing up for our newsletter d’HarmoniesD&Co. Swallow the elephant one bite at a time, it's the best way to get through it without indigestion 😉
Want to know more? We invite you to meet our collaborator!
Website: https://harmoniesdco.com
E-mail: info@harmoniesdco.co
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/Harmoniesdeco
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/harmoniesdco
If you would like to discover more content on personal and professional development, please click on this link to access other similar articles.
