NL CHAWLA

 De-clutter, in plain terms, means to remove unwanted things, from a place, in order to make  it more pleasant and useful.  In other words as a lot of things in an untidy state, specially stuff which is not necessary or not being used and create a state of confusion  need to be disposed of appropriately.  It is  pertinent  here  to understand  that  de-cluttering does not only mean removing unwanted articles but thinking about keeping what we really need.  Having learnt  basics of the term de-clutter, to my mind, undernoted are the major and important areas require regular and consistent attention for the purpose.

A. Home

B. Office

C. Human mind

A. Home: 

First and foremost area to be  clutter free, of course, is our house. Certainly, tidy and well arranged/organized home not only imparts satisfaction to mind but also gives  overall a nice look. To make the house clutter free, we can divide the house broadly into different parts such as Bed Room, Dining and Drawing Hall, Kitchen and Store Room etc.  My own experience is that baby steps i.e. a phased manner approach together with involvement of  each and every member of family goes  a long way to maintain the home neat and clutter free.

2.The first step in de-cluttering process is to identify the things which are not required  and have outlived their utility. This apart,  there may be certain articles, we may have bought on a whim and never put to use. Such non-essential objects can be disposed of by way of (i) donation to needy persons or Old Age Homes etc. (ii)  re-sale of such items on OLX  (iii) sale to regular कबाड़ी or a scrap dealer or otherwise. 

3.Possibility of certain items that are not of immediate use but may have their utility, later on, cannot be over looked. Such items can be packed in carton(s) preferably with a list pasted on it for easy retrieval. These boxes can be neatly stacked   in the Store Room. The exercise  of getting rid of items that no longer serve purpose is bound to create ample space  at our disposal without incurring additional cost. Not only that the home becomes more livable too.

4.As a cardinal principle to remove unwanted articles, it is important   that things which are useful and needed should be properly rearranged and kept appropriately at designated place, so that their retrieval is easy and hassle-free . A well-kept and organized space saves loads of time. A quote by Benjamin Franklin - "A place for everything ,everything in place" is worth mentioning here. In short, clutter-free environment  will save time, efforts and energy to locate/search for articles. I am sure that each  one of us must have experienced that clutter-free environment  leads to positivity in the house.

B. Office : 

Undoubtedly, we spend a sizeable chunk of our active life in office/work place. Therefore, work environment in the office is to be comfortable and be truly productive. Our lifelong experience working in Govts Office, Bank or in a Private Sector would bear out that people with messy workplace are less efficient vis-à-vis those who have an organized desk and structured cubicle/cabin.

2.In office, clutter-free   desk  must be the top priority. One must acknowledge that a messy desk is bound to  misplace documents, lost information and increase stress. It reminds me to recall a popular advertisement on "नव रत्न तेल". Pilling up files, heaps of unarranged papers and scattered stationery on desk need immediate attention.  While working, one need to give full attention to the task in hand.  Papers/files and such documents pertaining to task in hand need to be on our desk.  All other files which are not required immediately should  be placed on side/back table. Further, desktop/laptop, printer , fax machine and even phones are also to be kept on side table. Basically, efforts are to be directed towards  keeping desk space as neat  as possible  so that the entire office looks clutter- free.

3.Here I would prefer to narrate personal experience the way I used to de-clutter my  cabin on taking up new assignment during Bank career. Once settled down in the new place of posting, I along with a messenger/  boy would , on one Sunday,  come to office.  All the files, books, papers , stationery and circulars etc. were taken out from the cupboards, bookcase, filling cabinets and table drawers etc.  Relevant, important and useful articles were segregated and arranged in terms of their importance and priority. Non-important and other superfluous articles that have lost their utility were disposed of and discarded. On completion of the small but important exercise , it became  comfortable and   handy to work. It can be termed as a part of   time management skills.

C. Human mind: 

1.De-cluttering of human mind simply cannot be overemphasized. Messy and confused  mind, at times, has a bundle of  unbridled  and unproductive thoughts that make it difficult to channelize one's energy  to zero  in on any issue. In fact, we all must have experienced that a cluttered mind is disruptive and impacts productivity. As such, confusion free mind is essential.

2.The crux of the issue  is how to restrict thoughts in our mind. Unnecessary and unimportant information and thoughts deplete our inner power.  Receptive to positive information and detachment from unnecessary information, you would certainly appreciate, keeps us more focused and mentally agile. 

Clutter-free surrounding such as home and workplace,  as discussed  above,  go   a long way to keep our mind  relaxed.

3. A wonderful habit, I learnt  from  my  father is to maintain a 'To Do List'. Primary objective of the concept is  that prior to  going for  sleep, list out items of work, on a peace of paper or diary,   to be  undertaken next day.  Maintenance of  such a 'To Do List' reduces the level of   stress and  helps  to  a sound sleep. Even on next day morning, I can start my day with fresh mind and without wasting time.  This tool is a   "राम बाण"  not only to peaceful   mind but instrumental in    completion of the identified tasks in a structured way. Incomplete jobs, of course, are to  be carried over for subsequent day. Though it is easier said than done, my  experience is that the habit can certainly be acquired with little efforts. 

4. To de-clutter mind, next   priority is to check effectively free   flow and bombardment of information from different sources such as newspapers, magazines,  TV, Twitter , surfing of web and excessive indulgence and participation in Social Media. A few  undernoted important steps may  facilitate   to limit  unrestricted and unwanted info  coming in: 

(i) Reduction in  number  of   Whatsapp groups. Restrict it to core groups only 

                   (ii) Block or un-follow friends on face-book whose posts do not add anything                        positive.

(iii)There is hardly any need to react/comment on each and every post in               FB/Whatsapp. 

                    (iv)To become selectively social

                    (v) Spam  and superfluous incoming calls on mobile need to be blocked.                                Similarly, spim and junk mails needs strict avoidance.

(vi) Limit  screen time – Switch off  

 

 It is an illustrative but  not  exhaustive list to curb receipt of unwanted  and unsolicited  info. 

5. Cultivation of healthy & good  habits and  at the same time leaving behind bad one's are bound to contribute towards mental peace. A  habit of   de-cluttering can be pursued  under the popular concept of "Do It Yourself" (DIY). It just gives a lot of  inner satisfaction and good feeling. 

6.  We all are well aware that meditation  relaxes our mind. It  is of immense help in focusing our attention. A regular practice of meditation  goes  a long way in mental de-cluttering. Further, a little bit of spiritual practice  also contributes significantly to avoid messy mental state of affairs.  Both meditation and spirituality orient  our mind  to think in a sensible and logical way, especially in  difficult situations.                                                            

Once we are  clear about (i)  concept of de-cluttering (ii) important areas that need regular attention and (iii) strategies to undertake de-cluttering exercise , it becomes  important to discuss its benefits and advantages. To my mind following are a few of the important advantages of de-Cluttering worth mentioning:

(i)  Satisfaction of mind as well  organized  living eco-system gives a  pleasant and nice look.

         (ii) Disposal of unwanted and superfluous articles may be                  utilized by needy         persons.

        (iii) It saves plenty of our  precious time, efforts and energy to  locate the articles

(iv) The process reduces stress and anxiety

         (v)   It inculcates discipline in life and leads to positivity.

(vi) At times, it may be a stress buster exercise too.

         (vii) It helps to feel more stable, clearheaded and relaxed.

        (viii) A vital tool to improve one's  overall personality.  

 

             A  JOURNEY FROM  CLUTTER TO DE-CLUTTER