It’s only a matter of time before many of us learn that life is easier when we follow many of the core Scandinavian health philosophies, which include everything from spending more time outside to decluttering and having less. Declutter your life by learning how Swedish death cleaning principles can enhance every aspect of your daily routine.
If clutter and disorganization are your main concerns, you may need to look into the phenomenon known as Swedish death cleaning. This idea has taken the world by storm, and it involves the systematic process of prioritizing what’s important in life and eliminating the unnecessary stuff that gets in the way.
If you’re intrigued by this process, check out our guide to this novel concept and how to apply it to your life.
What Is Swedish Death Cleaning?
You’re not wrong, the term Swedish death cleaning can seem a bit scary at first, but there’s a method behind the name. While at the core, this is a mind frame for decluttering and organizing your space; it’s a bit more than that. The “death” part of the term points to the idea that this is a permanent form of organization. You’re creating a new system that you can follow day after day so you can cut out stress and streamline your life.
When you’re organized, everything has its place, and you can live with fewer distractions. You’ll likely be happier and less anxious, and you may even find new levels of personal success.
Swedish Death Cleaning And Home Organization
One primary way you can apply Swedish death cleaning to your own life is by organizing your home. Imagine if you passed away and your loved ones had to sort through your belongings. Would the organizational system you have right now make the task easier or harder for them? It’s a good question, and though it may seem daunting at first, ultimate organization can be easier by taking things one area at a time.
A Swedish death cleaning list could include the following:
- Sort through your closet and eliminate and donate what you know you won’t wear again.
- Look at your furniture, consider what takes the most space, and get rid of the items you never use.
- Go through your less personal items. The knick-knacks and the stuff deep in drawers you haven’t used in years.
- Sort through pictures and mementos and talk with loved ones about what they may want.
- Rethink your purchases and buy less.
Swedish death cleaning is a good idea if you’re looking to simplify and declutter your own home, but it’s wise in various other situations, including if you plan to move with less. When a move is upcoming, start the cleaning process and donate or give away everything you don’t need. It’s the best way to end up with fewer items to transport from point A to B.
In addition to making the move less arduous, you’ll also save money by requiring fewer resources during your relocation and make money by selling unneeded possessions. Alternatively, look for upstanding organizations that can use your donations, such as the Salvation Army, which is well-known for helping people in need. With fewer items to manage, you’ll reduce an already stressful situation.
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Apply It To Your Profession
Whether you’re self-employed or employed by others, you can apply many of the principles of Swedish death cleaning to your work so you can be more productive. Start by eliminating negativity in your professional life. Try not to be offended by what could be perceived as negative feedback and use it as constructive criticism that you can use to improve your job. This is one way to declutter the stress in your work life.
There are other complementary and essential tricks to help you if you work from home. One of them is to clean up your schedule so you can focus on one project at a time. Multitasking is a good skill to have, but if you keep going back and forth, you could become stressed and take longer to accomplish all of the tasks. It’s also vital that you take breaks throughout the day. It’s the best way to split up your day, and you can set mini goals for what you hope to accomplish before each break.
Just be careful not to let breaks get out of control. It can be easy to take a break, head onto social media, and get lost for hours. You can declutter this aspect of life by tracking your screen time or setting reminders to get back to work. Focus on your tasks, and you can get done with work. Then, turn your attention to other important parts of life, like your family.
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Managing Your Finances
Many Scandinavian principles also encourage creating a balanced life, and that includes balancing your checkbook and finances. Clean finances will help you budget and plan for life.
You can death clean your finances by consolidating accounts so you’re juggling fewer cards or statements and limiting the chance of making mistakes. While you’re checking out some of those accounts, try to automate payments so you can get them off of your mind. It’s also wise to keep all of your records and essential documents in one place so you and your loved ones know where to look whenever necessary.
Declutter Your Life: How Swedish Death Cleaning Principles Can Enhance Every Aspect of Your Daily Routine – Conclusion
It’s possible to use Swedish death cleaning principles to declutter and enhance your life in many different ways, and it’s worth the effort to reduce some of the stress. Take this process one step at a time, and in the end, you’ll be happier and more productive.
Declutter Your Life: How Swedish Death Cleaning Principles Can Enhance Every Aspect of Your Daily Routine, written by Ainsley Lawrence. Ainsley is a regular contributor to Daily Scandinavian. She is a freelance writer from the Pacific Northwest. Ainsley is interested in better living. through technology and education. She is frequently lost in a good book.
Feature image (on top): © Paico Oficial / Unsplash