8 Ways To Create Instant Calm This Week

If you are in the midst of feeling overwhelmed with far too much going on in your life and too many cluttered surfaces, there are a few things that you can do to reduce that very quickly.

No, it’s not going to take all the troubles away, but doing even one of these suggestions listed below is going to give you a boost of calm, fast. Give yourself a gift and do one of these steps each day over the next week.

1. Remove clutter from surfaces.

Surfaces tend to be the dumping ground for everyone in the house. We walk in the door, set everything we’re holding on the nearest surface, and go about our day.

But after things have settled down, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the amount of items that have collected. Grab a box or basket and walk through the house collecting everything off the surfaces. Then walk through the house with the same box, putting the items away.

Tip: Organize and systemize your entryway so everything has a place. This way, you can easily settle your belongings as soon as you walk in, rather than finding a space for them every time (or dumping them on the nearest surface).

2. Remove knick knacks and throw pillows you don’t enjoy.

Sure, we collect these things to add some life and energy to our spaces, but knick knacks collect dust and start to look dingy after a while, and the throw pillows can get in the way and end up on the floor more often than the couch.

If you love the knick knacks, clean them up, dust the surface they were on, and put them back. But if you don’t love it, (regardless of who gave it to you) let it go.

This frees up space in your room and mind.

3. Deep clean an area.

Most of us have areas of the home where we notice dust and grime more than others. For me, I see the dust under the wood stove when I’m sitting on the couch. When it’s not clean, it gnaws at me when I’m trying to relax!

For others, it might be the bathroom mirror, or the dust on the baseboards. None of these tasks take much time, so this week, pick one thing that has been annoying you and give it a good cleaning.

4. Get yourself a pretty plant.

Plants have a way of bring fresh calm energy into a space. Seeing a bright green live plant when you sit down to relax is a pleasant experience and gives a sense of satisfaction. There are plants that don’t require much light, so they can sit in a room, even if they aren’t right next to a window.

Now, some people find the idea of keeping a plant alive to be SO stressful. If that’s you, ignore this recommendation!

5. Develop a morning routine.

There is so much to be said about having a morning routine in place–even a simple one. Taking a few minutes for self-care, regulation, and preparing for your day can make all the difference.

How To Build Your Best Morning Routine

6. Make time for friends that fill you up.

We have people that drain and people that fill us. Schedule some down time with someone that fills you this week.

Share a meal or get together and work on a project. If you have little ones at home, scheduling hang-out time with a friend can be a great time to catch up on laundry. Yes, you heard me! We all have mundane tasks that are so much nicer done together.

Take turns spending a morning at each other’s houses, have a coffee pot ready, and while the kids play, sit down to fold laundry and visit. Isn’t that a nicer way to do laundry?!

7. Write down everything that is bothering you.

Otherwise known as a brain dump. Grab a notebook and just start writing those thoughts.

Everything in your head that is swirling around: from the multitude of to-do’s to the things that are stressing you. Having them out on paper instead of buzzing around in your mind, is a huge relief.

You can take this farther by listing all the things on your to-do list that only require a few minutes of work, and getting them done over the next day.

You can also write all the stressful things you have no control over, and throw that paper away. Or smash it, crumple it, and burn it! This practice gives your mind a visual “letting go” of those things that do you no good to stress about.

8. Get outside and get some fresh air.

Even a few minutes of fresh air is good! Fresh air boosts your immune system, calms your mind and emotions and gives you energy! Instead of reaching for another cup of coffee or an energy drink, take a walk around the block.

To incorporate this into your daily life, try to go on a morning walk. Maybe bring a hot drink or a neighbor and enjoy your time. A little sunshine early in the day is great for regulating your circadian rhythm, fresh air and movement will boost your mood all day, and micro social interactions (“Good morning, Janet!”) have a calming effect on your nervous system.

What do you do to create calm quickly in your own life? Let me know in a comment!