Adolescent advice; keeping it clean.

I asked my 13 year old daughter what I should blog about this week and she said "I want to write your blog this week!" 

Here are Hannah's thoughts on what helps her thrive.  She titled her guest blog: Cleanliness.

"How you live in your house, how you act when you leave and even how healthy you are all contribute to a simple word we hear all day long. That word is cleanliness. Coming from a teens perspective keeping your room clean is one of the secrets to a clear mind and a clearer future ahead. That seems farfetched but, cleaning your surroundings and living in cleanliness brings more feelings of accomplishment and positivity into your work and life and even can boost your confidence.

Coming home to a clean space also can help you unwind and feel serenity in a peaceful resting place for the night.

Having a clean room can also reduce stress.

When you already have a lot on your plate, then want to go to sleep, you look around and see how much you still have to do not having everything tucked away. You are probably thinking you don’t have the time to clean your room once a week, but so many daily tasks can be done while tidying up.

New show you want to watch? Fold some laundry. Have to cook dinner? Clean up before you cook so you are more inspired to cook.  A clean kitchen makes after dinner clean up a lot easier. The key to always staying organized is that everything has a place. That way whenever it’s out of its place you can put it back instead of trying to find it a new home or just shoving it in your closet. You should be able to find anything you own in your room if you have a designated space for it. 

Overall, having a clean environment can effect your grades, work habits, social life, stress, and even how well you sleep. Waking up to a clean room jumpstarts your day and keeps you organized throughout. Coming home to a clean room can help you de-stress and relax for a good nights sleep. So, stop putting it off and get to cleaning!"



​Hannah really lives by this message (more than I do myself most of the time).  She has a weekly routine down to a science. Every Sunday during the school year, she would tidy up her room and select 5 outfits for the week ahead. I noticed how calm she felt heading into a stressful week when she helped her future self by doing simple tasks ahead of time. 

She even "Marie Kondo-ed" my husbands t-shirts the other day! 

​There's something super satisfying about creating order around you.  Hannah's right - when we have a calm environment around us, we feel calmer inside too.  

I'm not sure I can achieve total order of my own dresser, but she's making me think twice about tidying up!  

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