Clean Space, Clear Mind: Organization and Mental Clarity

The Origin

Growing up, cleanliness was one of the foremost lessons I was taught in life. I recall the order of life lessons being somewhat as followed: Growing in the knowledge and love of Jesus, fostering relationships with others and how to act accordingly, and keeping a clean, organized space. Before I could learn these things for myself, specifically keeping an organized space, my mom would create it for my sisters and I. I often remember feeling spoiled by the cleanliness, it never felt like a burden or as if it interrupted my childhood. Let me explain. As a child, I always had a clean room, bed made, clothes hung and folded, and you could see the carpet lines from the vacuum cleaner often. Toys were organized, shelves were dusted, and our personal trinkets were kept to a minimum to avoid over-cluttered spaces.

I obviously could not obtain this level of cleanliness on my own as a child, but I had my mom demonstrating and facilitating it for me, so that I may experience what it feels like to live in an organized environment. As a grew, I would be given more responsibility in regards to managing my own space. What I could not do on my own, my mom would step in to assist. There would be seasons in life when, if my mom felt I was overwhelmed by other childhood responsibilities, she would step up and take on tasks that I often could do independently. I believe this reinforced a feeling of comfort and sanity. By the time I was in high school, I grew to associate a clean, organized space with a sense of control in the midst chaos, and comfort most of all.

Set Up For Success

There is no doubt that a clean space makes one feel as if life is in order. There could be a million things going wrong, but if your car is organized and you know where things are in the house, you feel a sense of control. More than just control, you feel a sense of accomplishment. I often love that famous speech given by William McRaven, a retired Navy four-star Admiral who commanded a young group of graduates to “Make your bed everyday” which later became a #1 New York Times bestseller book. Call me crazy, but there is power in making your bed daily. You could accomplish nothing else in the day, but you can look back and know that you habitually started your day with order. Often these small habits are what create great accomplishments. When I learn to live in the routine of cleaning and organizing, it seems as if everything else in life that is beneficial to my personal wellness and my family’s wellness gets prioritized too.

Don’t Let Responsibilities Distract You

The header sounds contraindicating at first glance. We all face many responsibilities day in and day out, tasks that will forever be present. We have children who rely on us, spouses who rely on us, work demands, community demands, extracurricular activities pressing us, and more. It is essential that we first prioritize the nucleus of our lives, the home. If the hub of the home is in sync, everything else will feel like less of a burden, and more of an enrichment in life. I have found that as a wife and mom myself, responsibilities have grown beyond myself. That is why it is important that we learn to make ourselves uncomfortable and stretch ourselves for the benefit of others. Just as my mom ran a home and taught her children how to live an organized life, so we have to pass this on to our children so that they can be just as successful. In the beginning, there is an adjustment phase. I remember feeling as if daily tasks got away from me. Being a new mom, it was okay for a season to let things go in order to devote the time to learning the role of motherhood. I am sure you can relate to this, or can recall another season of your life where something else took priority, and that is okay. What is overall beneficial, however, is creating habits that positively affect the majority of your time and space.

How I Roll

I have tried several different types of cleaning methods, and was often unsuccessful. I almost felt doomed, and very quickly fell into the mentality of “I have small kids so it is impossible to keep a clean home.” I would say these type of things to make me feel better, but deep down I felt unsettled. I kept returning to the feelings of security, comfort, and clear mindedness of my childhood, and wanted THAT. So, one day I stumbled across an article that truly inspired me to keep a clean home. I can now say that my home is always “5 minutes from clean”. You know when you have that random visitor show up to your house, or a friend calls and says “I am stopping by quick”? Yeah, bring it on. My home is ready to host anyone at the last minute. I pride myself in this because it is one of my goals to be hospitable to anyone and everyone who needs a place of refuge. Okay, so here is the magic formula. It is realistic too, so do not stop reading.

It’s That Easy

Have you ever heard of the fifteen minute rule?! Each room, or sections of rooms, get fifteen minutes of your attention. I set a timer on my phone for fifteen minutes. Once that timer goes off, complete what you were doing, but move on. If you don’t move on, you’ll find yourself cleaning forever, and that’s when a healthy habit can become excessive. If you have kids, incorporate them into the task, make it a fun game for them. I include my two year old as much as I can, whether it’s picking up her toys, or giving her a rag with water on it to “clean”. The more you include children at a young age, the sooner it will become second nature. As your home becomes more tidy, you will feel as if you don’t need fifteen minutes. That’s okay, I will either move on to the next space, or choose to deep clean something, such as dust behind the entertainment area or clean the baseboards. If you have a two story home, keep a cleaning kit on the second floor. I would often be exhausted by making what felt like a million trips upstairs and back down to get cleaning supplies. No fun, especially when you have young kids. I purchased a dollar store caddy to transport the essentials from room to room. Do not over clutter your cleaning supplies stock. Keep a multi-surface cleaner, window cleaner, and toilet cleaner on hand. The more basic you keep it, the less overwhelming it will feel. Do one load of laundry daily. Life changing. No more catching up with laundry. One load a day is super manageable, and keeps you from drowning in clothes. Lastly, “Put Away, Not Down” is our mantra. This applies to everything you do. Instead of putting the basket of folded clothes in your room, put the clothes away. Instead of putting the dishes in the sink, put them immediately in the dishwasher, instead of just taking your shoes off, put them away in respected baskets. These are the simplest cleaning suggestions, but I assure you that they will keep you ahead, or at least on track.