8 Habits To Keep You Organized & Healthy
Please note this blog post contains affiliate links in which I may earn a small commission from purchases you make by clicking on my links. This commission does not add any additional cost to you as a consumer.
Keeping your life organized, is not just about keeping the physical items around you in neat containers. Organization plays a vital role in our day-to-day routines and mental & physical health. Habits & routines create the foundation for an organized & thriving lifestyle filled with joy & wonderful memories! Today, I am sharing 8 lifestyle habits to take back your day-to-day!
1. Laundry Every Day (or every other!): We are starting with a heavy hitter! I learned this many years ago from Emily Ley, founder of Simplified, and I have not looked back since. She recommends doing a load of laundry daily or every other day to avoid laundry pile up. Smaller loads are much more manageable to fold and put away than a large, wrinkly, week-old pile. Trust me when I say this is a game changer. I also reduce the number of loads I do by utilizing color catchers. Yes, that is right. I mix colors in the same laundry load thanks to these babies!
2. Move your Body Every Day: Friend, even if you only have 10 minutes, find a way to purposefully move your body every day! If you can’t move it, try meditation or stretching. Any activity is good for you! I will also be the person to tell you: if you hate running, don’t run! Even if you are good at it, you have permission to do what makes you feel good. Take a dance class, meet your best friend for a walk, join a Tennis Team, etc. My favorite forms of movement are walking (briskly!), cycling on my stationary bike, barre classes, and taking strength classes with light weights (shout out to the Peloton app for making all of that easy for me!) Movement makes your body & brain stronger! Creativity & focus thrive when you choose to regularly move your body. You can be the best for yourself & family by choosing to move.
3. Drink Water: This sounds like an easy one, but you may be surprised on how dehydrated we are in the U.S.! According to the National Library of Medicine, 75% of Americans are “chronically dehydrated”. Holy Smokes! For a creature whose body is made up of up to 60% water, this is concerning. Make it easy for your brain and body to feel good every day, and carry a water bottle with you! Whether you are a Stanley die-hard or have shifted your allegiance to Owala, pick a cup and drink up!
4. Keep snacks on hand: The hangry version of me is not a me that I am ever proud of. I am betting you can relate. I always keep healthy snacks on hand: in my purse, car, & home. Pick your faves and don’t skip meals. Studies have shown snacking on certain foods can boost serotonin! You will be able to think better when you are not starving & your stress levels will also be lower! My favorite snacks to keep on hand are turkey sticks, granola bars with protein, cheese sticks, and fruit!
4. Plan at least 3 easy meals at home: The you that saves an extravagant meal recipe on Instagram and the you that actually has to cook it, might be two different people! (I may be speaking directly from experience). Make a list of your family’s favorite, easy, go-to meals, and pick at least three per week to make. This way you are probably guaranteed to have a healthier meal than if you had driven by the fast food place. I dedicated an entire blog post to this if you would like to read more.
5. Clean out your car: Take a moment every time you get home from work or when you are getting gas in your car, to remove the trash. Apple sauce pouches (guilty!), cheerio crumbs (also been there!), etc. all need to go! You should not be greeted with stress every time you open your car door. For a lot of us, our cars are like an extension of our home. Show yourself appreciation, and keep your surroundings clean. I guarantee this will provide a boost in your endorphins and a decrease in your stress levels. Bonus Tip: I have a day of the week dedicated to getting gas in my car, cleaning out any trash, & going through the car wash to ensure this task always gets done. By doing this, I have certainly gotten the most out of my car wash membership!
6. Clean off the Kitchen Counter & Sink Nightly: Walking into the kitchen in the morning with dirty dishes in the sink & a counter full of food stains is like being greeted with a to-do list when you are trying to wake up. Do yourself the biggest favor and spend an extra 5-10 minutes washing the dishes and wiping your countertops before going to bed. While you are waiting for your coffee or tea to brew the next morning, unload the dishwasher or remove the dishes from the drying rack. Voila! You have already accomplished an easy task and the morning has hardly started!
7. Get Outside! Spending just 20 minutes a day outside can reduce stress & anxiety and improve both your mental & physical health. Even 20 minutes 3 days a week is beneficial according to this neuroscientist from Northeastern University. She also mentions, however, you can easily be denied of all these great health benefits if your attention is on your phone.
8. Social Media & Phone Boundaries: Speaking of phones…they sure have come a long way since their inception in 1876 by our friend Alex Bell. They can be a wonderful tool to provide connection & safety; however with the introduction of social media the opposite has happened. We are superficially connected, but not deeply connected. It just blows my mind that something that was marketed as a way to connect us with others is actually creating loneliness, especially when it is overused! The keyword is overused. The mental health of teens AND pre-teens has significantly declined since 2010 with allegedly overuse of social media listed as the primary culprit. I promise I am not bashing phones or social media because I clearly use both, but we have come to a point of over usage & boundaries are of utmost importance this day and age.
My best tip for phone boundaries is to start small, but fully commit. Some examples that work for me: I do not check my email after 5pm. I also ensure social media is not the first thing my eyes see when I wake up in the morning. Pick what is best for you, and do it!
This may seems like a long list, but every habit I listed is important for the success of the amazing human that is you! I pray you live the life you want to live to the fullest and know that you are always stronger than you think!
While we unfortunately can’t hold your hand in the day-to-day activities that make you healthy & organized, we can help organize the environment in which you surround yourself! Contact us today to get started on your organization & de-stress journey!
