One of the causes of stress and anxiety is decision-making overload. Most of us have competing demands on our time and energy. There may not be a lot you can do about that right now. You’ve got kids; you’ve got a job; you’ve got a spouse. That is your reality right now. So let’s focus on removing some decisions from your day. Having to make decisions, even if they are “fun” wears you out.
Let’s talk about what you are going to wear. I know that’s a small part of your day, and you don’t think that’s going to help you with your stress and anxiety. Nevertheless, humor me. We are going to create some more time and energy in your day by making the daily decision of what you are going to wear much easier. Here’s the strategy: Pretend you are going on a weeklong trip. You only need clothes for 7-10 days. Okay, I’m not going to give you the big job of reorganizing your closet, or anything like that. Go into your closet; pick out your “travelling wardrobe” and hang it all in the same place in your closet, probably on the far left. Create a little space just for that. You can push aside all the other clothes. If you are lucky enough to have a different closet, move your other clothes so all you have in your closet are the clothes you have chosen for the next week. If not, don’t worry about it.
That one decision has now been taken care of for awhile. To make it even easier on yourself, choose your clothes for the next day from your simplified wardrobe and lay them out so you don’t have to think about it in the morning. Don’t worry right now about becoming a minimalist or making permanent decisions about what you will keep and what you will get rid of. Just give yourself a break for a week. Pretend you are helping a stressed out eight-year-old by making this one thing easier and simpler. By the way, treating ourselves as we would treat an anxious child is a pretty good way to start lowering stress.