Everyone is looking for a miracle cure that drastically improves all aspects of their lives with one simple trick. How many click-bait ads have you see promising just that? While those online advertisements might be dead-ends, there actually are certain simple lifestyle changes that can lead to better sleep, less waste and a brighter overall attitude. And it won’t cost you a penny!
The idea is simple, and the effect can be endlessly rewarding:
compartmentalize your home. But what does that mean?
Compartmentalizing your home will make your mornings easier, your living space less cluttered and (ideally) make you enjoy life more. The basic idea is that each area in your house or apartment has a singular focus, and you treat these areas as such. This means no more laptops, cell phones, books, stretching, eating or drinking in your bed.
There’s a reason for all this: by using your bed for sleeping only, your brain will strengthen the connection between being in your bed and being asleep. When you transplant this concept to other areas of your home, such as the kitchen, you can avoid future clutter by simply making sure your cups and dishes stay in the kitchen.
Your workplace is the place you work. The kitchen is where you cook and eat (or it can even double as a small garden if you regrow vegetables). Your relaxation/living room is where you keep your video games and other hobbies. Every addition to your house will already have its place decided, by simply nailing down your layout in advance. This process might become somewhat more complicated if you live in a studio apartment, though!
Most people have wrestled with the occasional, or persistent, insomnia. Work and life never end, and finding rest in your bed is difficult if there’s no rest in your head. You can fluff your pillow again, kick the sheets off and read a book. But if all that fails, how about trying compartmentalization? If the light compartmentalization didn’t work for you, maybe it’s time to call in the big guns and take things further: turn your bedroom into a bed room.
Move your clothes to your washroom (if you can keep things hygienic, of course), move your computer to your living room, take out any tables and chairs. Congratulations, you’ve just created a minimalist space of sleep, and your body will thank you for it. The connection your brain will have with this room is one of pure rest, and simply entering the room will have a profound effect on your body.
Such little effort can reap great rewards. You can imagine this compartmentalization process as a Western Feng Shui with a focus on simple organization for simple living. Simple, and practical. The mere fact you’re putting more thought into the layout of your living space can even save you money and reduce waste.
Less clutter means less lost items that need replacing. More role-focused rooms means more optimized space organization. Less time needlessly spent in the rooms you don’t need to be in means saving money on your energy bill. Nighttime rests are deeper than ever. Meals can be enjoyed with a singular focus. These are just a few examples of organization making life easier. Every little change makes an impact and this could even be your first baby step to a zero waste lifestyle.
The clutter we find in our home causes a constant visual distraction. Everything in our vision, whether consciously or subconsciously, is competing for our attention. Compartmentalizing and minimizing leads to less clutter, which leads to less visual stress.
Does work and life get you burnt out a lot? Why not try out a more minimalist lifestyle for a couple of weeks? The rewards can be life changing, and clearing your head becomes far easier in a clear and calming environment. Simple living can, in fact, be simple!
Originally published at thesquirrelz.com on December 22, 2015.