I've been struggling to think of something to write today. The words evaded me and I got frustrated so instead of sitting there staring at a blank page I decided to take a break and do a little tidying around my house. Over the last few weeks my house has got quite cluttered and I've noticed my head being more and more 'full' as a result. While the saying about a cluttered desk is actually trying to say that you're a genius I do tend to work better when my desk, or rather my surroundings, are tidy. The order of my home lets me order my thoughts - I'm not exactly sure how that works, but it does. So I think you should clean your house to clear your head.
Clean Your Desk
If, like me, you work better when your surroundings are orderly I'd suggest starting by cleaning your desk. I have a diary, notebooks, and reference books sitting on my desk. There are post-its stuck to my iMac, notes on sheets of paper resting against my keyboard, pens sitting higgledy-piggledy all over my desk, as well as a pile of unused notebooks piled next to my printer. Add to that my coasters and other bits that end up on my desk and it's quite cluttered. I have a habit of letting things just sit and it takes a day where I can't work to make me realise I need to tidy up.
I think so much better when my desk is tidy.
I always start clearing my desk when I feel like I can't work. And usually I feel better within a few minutes of looking at my orderly desk.
Tidy Other Surfaces
Your desk isn't the only place you can concentrate on if you're feeling like your head is cluttered. If cleaning your desk doesn't help move on to the next surfaces. My office has 3 tabletops and they all end up filled with rubbish and books from my boys, so again I have to clean these. I throw away rubbish, I put books back on bookshelves, and I move anything that is not needed out of the way.
I can sometimes spend more than an hour cleaning my office, including vacuuming the carpet, but I always feel better after cleaning.
Add A Scent To Your Room
My favourite scent around my home is Lavender. I have lots of Airwick Essential Oils plug-ins and Essential Mist so I can fill my home with the lovely scent. Lavender can keep you calm, it helps to relieve tension and can help control emotional stress. I don't really use it for those reasons, I just love the scent, but if you're looking for a scent that can help you in some way check out 6 Scents That Can Transform Your Mood and Productivity.
Fill Your Home With Inspiration
In my office I have reference books sitting on my desk that are filled with helpful notes about crime, this keeps me in check when I'm writing. I also have True Crime books that have helped me understand (if you even can understand them!) the minds of killers.
But I don't just have crime-type things in my room, I have also filled my office with things I love. I can't have real flowers in my home because my boys (yes, all of them) suffer from hay fever quite bad so instead I have a selection of faux flowers around my room. On my window sill I have a white orchid, on a table to my right there are bright yellow flowers with white roses, and on my bookshelves in front of me is a single white rose. I like colours that brighten my room so white, yellow, and pink are great.
On my walls I have two pictures, one is a Friends poster listing all the best quotes from the series, and the other is a print from the Pixar move Monsters Inc. The Friends poster makes me smile every time I look at it, I can glance across the room and spot "we were on a BREAK!" and I can't help but laugh. The Monsters Inc. print makes me smile because its a movie my eldest son, now 15, watched constantly when he was a baby. I know the whole script for the thing and I haven't watched it in years!
My office reflects who I am, and it inspires me every day to keep being me.
Take a Break To Clear Your Head
If cleaning your house doesn't help to clear your head take a break. Step out of the house and get outside, breathe in fresh air, listen to the birds singing (when the sun shows up!). Stepping away can really help you get perspective, and sometimes can even inspire you.
It may sound like a cliche but I have always felt better after cleaning my house - you'd think I'd do it more often!
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