What does cleaning, organizing, and identifying your core needs have to do with mental health? As it turns out, there is a lot of evidence to support that organization, rhythms, clean spaces, and routines can help our mental health and wellness by providing structure, consistency, and focus in our lives.

Between being a wife, a mom to two school age kids, my private practice, and my podcast/blogging/creator endeavors, I have many balls in the air. On one hand, I like variety and pursuing various interests. But what I have realized in my own life and see among my female friends and clients who are also moms, women often carry the mental and physical load of the household. The result often ends up leaving moms scattered and not tending to their own physical, mental, and emotional needs. Additionally, it can leave parents, particularly moms, feeling like life is a game of whac-a-mole, focusing our attention on whatever pops up next. Of course, this is generalized as there are some dads who also carry more of the mental and physical toll of the household, but this role still falls predominantly on women.

Identifying our non-negotiables, or fundamental needs as Chelsi Jo (podcast host of Systematize Your Life) calls them, helps us to prioritize the things that will help us in the busyness of life. Examples of non-negotiables or fundamental needs include tidying, date night, personal time, exercise, a certain amount of sleep, and meal planning. Creating a structure for those needs and rhythms and adding them to our calendar can be a game changer so we actually make time to do the things that will help us to thrive.

What are your non-negotiables? What are the structures and routines that decrease your stress and help your mood, ability to focus, and life to run more smoothly?

Resources:

Systematize Your Life Podcast

A Slob Comes Clean Podcast

App: Day One Journal

Help me figure out my non-negotiables!