Life Without Chaos . . .

Messy desks, unmade beds, disorganized refrigerator . . . these are things that send my brain whirling and can have me in a 'stuck state', a bit like a deer in headlights. I've never functioned well with messes, what I perceive as messes or disorder. I like neatness, cleanliness and order.  I've been called, 'type A', neurotic, picky . . . whatever.  I know what has me feel centered and grounded and it's order. It's not just visual order, it's financial order, relationship order, health order . . .  OK, maybe I am a teeny bit neurotic . . .

As I read the Discover article, "Disordered environments promotes stereotypes and discrimination",  I felt validated. 'Michael' comments on the blog, 'Unclutterer' that Malcom Gladwell illustrates the "broken window' theory in his book, 'The Tipping Point'. I read Gladwells book years ago and the 'broken window' theory was one among several theories Gladwell brought to light that made perfect sense to me.

According to Wikipedia,  The broken windows theory is a criminological theory of the normsetting and signaling effects of urban disorder and vandalism on additional crime and anti-social behavior. The theory states that monitoring and maintaining urban environments in a well-ordered condition may prevent further vandalism as well as an escalation into more serious crime. 

What the heck does this mean to me, you might ask? De-cluttering is one easy way to simplify your life, and simplifying life leads to less upset, less drama and more productivity. 

our Freestone house great room

Throughout my son's life I've noticed he functions better with order and certainty. I don't necessarily think he realizes this about himself. Knowing that certainty was a high value for him as a child, I set up life to be more orderly which helped him function at a much higher level.  From his homework environment to the amount of toys he had and how they were stored, I made sure that his environment was less distracting, more orderly.  Now unless you want to raise a kid that is fearful and anxious, you need to add in uncertainty as well. The key is balance.  My kid now functions pretty well in all environments, he's adaptable. My belief is that I took away chaos and it gave him the space to relax and find his way. 

How has disorder and uncertainty effected your life? How is it working for you? Are there areas in life where you could choose more order or certainty that would make your life and your family's lives more enjoyable? 

Tell me one thing that you do in your environment that has you feel calmer and more centered.


CLICK HERE to read the Discover Magazine article in it's entirety 

CLICK HERE to read the blog, 'Unclutterer'