The weather is starting to get cooler and ABC’s television ads are promoting “National Stay-At-Home Week:” save gas by staying in and watching the new shows. If you are beginning to spend more time indoors now that fall is here, you may want to make some adjustments to ensure that your space feels as tranquil as possible, whether you work from home or just want your place to look better.

Several years ago, when my daughter was a freshman in college, she telephoned to say she was having difficulty concentrating as she tried to study for her fall mid-term exams. She was upset because she usually was very focused when it came to her schoolwork. So, I asked her, “Is your dorm room messy?” “Yes,” she responded. “How did you know?”  Although not blessed with x-ray vision, I suspected that ‘visual chaos’ might be the culprit. Any room – especially a small space – that suffers from this problem is difficult to relax in and is certainly not conducive to studying in either: hence her problem.

So I suggested that she simply clear her floor of anything that was not furniture. “You mean I don’t have to clean up the whole room?” she asked. ”No, just remove any extraneous things from the floor” I explained. She could do more when she finished taking her exams. By removing all the clutter from the floor, her space would feel more open and airy and less disorderly. We hung up and she got to work putting away paperwork, shoes, etc. A couple of hours later I called to see how she was doing and as soon as she answered the phone I could hear that she was more relaxed. She said, “Mommy, my room feels a lot better – I can concentrate now!”

If your place has lots of extraneous things scattered on the floor, take a few minutes to pick up everything that is not a permanent furnishing. Like my daughter, you’ll find that your space feels better, instantly. And, since you’ll be staying at home more, this will help you enjoy your apartment or house and your favorite new television shows without being distracted.

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