Decluttering + Natural Cleaning = Clear Focus!
Once you have succeeded in decluttering your environment it is time to clean and organize. Divide and Conquer
by Maria LeBlanc
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ccording to a study performed at the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute when your home or office is cluttered your ability to focus diminishes. In the article “Interactions of Top-Down and Bottom-Up Mechanisms in Human Visual Cortex” researchers stated that “ Multiple stimuli present in the visual field at the same time compete for neural representation by mutually suppressing their evoked activity throughout visual cortex, providing a neural correlate for the limited processing capacity of the visual system.” In other words, when your environment is cluttered and unorganized it not only distracts you, but actually affects the brain’s ability to process information. Therefore, when your home or office is unorganized or cluttered you are not able to focus as well as you would if you were in an organized, uncluttered and tranquil environment. Clutter wears down your mental resources and makes you prone to being more irritable. Researchers used “functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and other physiological measurement tools to map the brain’s responses to organized and disorganized stimuli and to monitor task performance” and they concluded that if you want to be able to focus and process information at an optimal level it is necessary to clear the clutter from your home or office environment. 50
Miami-Dade/Florida Keys
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Start by decluttering one room at a time, it may be that when you see your bedroom, office, garage or kitchen you feel overwhelmed; tackle that room first. Depending on the severity of the clutter and unorganized room this may take you a couple hours or days. Divide the items into sections: recycle, donate, throwaway or keep. Recycle old magazines, newspapers, advertisement, cans and bottles. Donate clothing that you know you will never use or have not used in over a year. You may also donate bed linens, shoes, kitchen items, decorations or furniture. Your donations can be made to your preferred institute which may be your local Goodwill or place of worship. Many of these organizations will actually pick-up these items at your door for no additional cost, and best of all, you know you are helping someone who will use the items. And as an added bonus your donations are tax deductible. Throw away items that are expired or no longer useful because they are in really bad shape or broken. In the pile where you are putting the items that you will keep make sure that you are keeping items that you will actually use or items that have extreme sentimental value. Make sure your “keep” pile is not bigger than your donation, recycle, and throw away piles combined. That would mean that you are not progressing in decluttering. Think of the end goal of being in a peaceful, organized, decluttered environment where you can actually focus and be more productive, and helping others.
Green Cleaning
Once you have succeeded in decluttering your environment it is time to clean and organize. When cleaning keep in mind that all cleaning products are not created equal. Limit your exposure to chemical-based cleaners by reading labels and opting for non-toxic cleaning items such as green, ecofriendly products that are safe for you, your family and your pets. Choose safer products that say petroleum-free, biodegradable, phosphate-free, VOC-free, and solvent-free. Maria LeBlanc is the owner of Feng Shui Cleaning Services, a dependable cleaning and organizational service that provides eco-friendly cleaning and decluttering services that use special organizing processes. Along with their eco-friendly, non-toxic products, FengShui Cleaning Services has a unique healthy cleaning process that cleanse and purifies the air in your home and office. They use state-of-the-art vacuums with HEPA filtration and equipment which is Asthma and Allergy friendly certified. For more information, call 786-477-1641, or visit www.fengshuicleaning.com. See ad, page 60.