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Hey {{ first name | there }}! Welcome back to The Flow by Flocus. If you’re new around here, welcome! 👋 You can catch up on our previous editions right here.
This week: It’s all about those “little messes” in life (both physical and emotional) that appear, grow, and pile up, causing constant stress and throwing off our sense of balance. Inspired by a real battle we’ve been facing lately. Hop on down for the deets!
🫨 Little Messes Everywhere…
Ever feel like your whole life’s a mess?
It’s like, no matter where you look, something needs tending, tidying up, or sorting out.
You’re not alone. It’s most obvious with physical clutter, but some of our examples include mental, emotional, and even digital baggage, too:
📦 Piles of dishes, clothes, and misplaced stuff
🔔 Tons of unread texts, emails, and other notifications
🗣️ Self-talk or self-beliefs that are harmful, unkind, or overly critical
🌀 Emotional cycles or spirals over how others view you, what’s stressing you out, etc.
🗂️ Disorganized storage spaces (closets, file cabinets) that make it hard to find / put things away
How many of these messes are impacting your life right now? Or on any given day?
Whether you’re feeling squeaky clean or trapped under a mountain of messes, we’ve got some battle-tested tips for tidying up.
But first, a closer look at what might cause the messes in the first place (hint: it’s not just you being lazy or behind!).
🔬 What’s Causing All the Mess?
Causes will vary, but 3 of the most common include:
🌋 An overpacked schedule. This applies to pretty much everyone in a modern society, where we have so many responsibilities to juggle. Plus, routine switch-ups like holiday breaks and major moves can make all those messes pile up and multiply even faster.
🧠 Executive dysfunction and similar symptoms: People with trauma or mental conditions like ADHD and PTSD find it harder to manage tasks, routines, and schedules. Basically, their brains may not “see” the messes, even those that may be obvious to others.
👯 The involvement of other people. In relationships, messes show up in all forms and flavors: friction with roommates over household chores, the tension in the air after a partner or family member says something unkind. The mess may not be anyone’s “fault”, but stuff that involves others is tricky because we can’t control what others think or how they act.
Alright, now you have some idea of what the causes might be, but where do you start tidying up? How to approach it with gentle ease.
🧼 How to Tidy Up
🤏 Take it one tiny step at a time
Notice we didn’t say “1 mess” at a time.
Because a single mess contains lots of parts, depending on the type of mess it is:
🏠 Physical mess: Trash, clothes, dishes, misplaced things, stuff that doesn’t have a “home” or designated spot
🧠 Emotional / mental mess: Thoughts, emotions, beliefs, truths, external input from others
Tidying or processing each of these individual parts will require time, effort, and skills.
So instead of “cleaning the kitchen”, try “moving all the dishes to one area”. Keep going like this until you feel tired or need to move on to something else. By the end, you’ll have done some tidying (which is always better than none at all!).
😤 Tackle what’s bothering you most first
What’s that one mess that keeps coming up again and again? Which ones are really harshing your mellow?
Maybe it’s the inevitable return of “the empty mug stack” in your office from those long work sessions. Or maybe it’s the fact that your best friend hasn’t replied in days, even though they’ve read all your texts.
Whatever’s bugging you or causing you the most stress is where you should start. It might be scary or feel impossible, but taking a step to resolve it will take at least one tiny thing off your plate, which is bound to have a ripple effect.
💝 Learn to “love the mess”
(Yes, this absolutely is a throwback to the “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” era.)
While it may sound like corny advice, there’s actually some deeper wisdom in learning to love the messes you make.
First of all: Making messes means you’re alive, you’re human, you’re learning, and you’re growing. Not only is it okay for life to get messy, but it’s inevitable.
So take a moment to find some silver linings in each of your messes as you’re tidying up:
“Dirty dishes happen when good food and drinks are prepared and savored at home.”
“Overthinking how I move through the world means I care about showing up in a way that aligns with my values and direction.”
“Piles of laundry remind me that I have enough outfits to last for several weeks / months, in a variety of styles, colors, and patterns that let me express my personality and creativity.”
🪅 Flocus Picks
A curated list of things worth sharing.
The 1-Touch Rule (The Flow Archives) — A cleaning and productivity method for ensuring things are always in their designated places
How to Keep House While Drowning (Book) — We’ve almost certainly shared this one before, but it’s an absolute gem for anyone who needs help tidying up physical spaces
comfy lofi (Playlist) — For those emotionally messy days when you just need a hug
✨ Flocus: Your Personal Productivity Dashboard
Digital messes pile up just as fast as physical ones. Flocus keeps your tasks and workspace calm and contained, so you always know where to start tidying up!
🗳️ POLL: Which kind of mess is getting to you most right now?
We’ve had this one cooking for weeks, as we’ve worked to tidy up the “little messes everywhere” in our own life. (The good news is, our efforts are paying off)
What’d you think of this Flocus Original? We hope our real-life insights are valuable and helpful to you, and we’re always keen to hear your take!
Until next Sunday,
Flocus Team
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