In our daily life, two things play an essential role: productivity and stress. There is a direct link between organization and stress. If you are stressed, your productivity at work can be significantly affected. Whenever I am stressed or overwhelmed, I find myself organizing my house or doing laundry. When everything is clean, I feel like I am in control. The organizing reduces my stress level. And, that, in turn, increases productivity.

Maybe, I am just OCD, but I feel better when I’m organized. I find that orderliness leads to success. When we feel stressed and pulled in different directions, taking a couple of minutes to get organized might help to clear up your thoughts. Stress levels can be reduced by time management, physical activities, meditation and social interactions. In business, you can organize and reduce stress through communication, goal setting, improving and innovating.

Here are three ways to get organized and reduce stress:

#1: Clear up the clutter. One of the best ways to get organized is getting rid of things you don’t need. If you look around your home or office, you will find at least 20 things you don’t really need. A few times a year, I go through my closets and donate stuff we don’t use. I can’t stand clutter, and I am always getting rid of things. When it is clean and orderly, I can relax.

#2: Learn to say no. If you want to be productive, you have to set boundaries. There are so many things that steal time in your day. The extra tasks can quickly add up to cause unneeded stress. You don’t have to say yes. And, you should never feel bad about saying no. It is much better to say no to someone, rather than accepting more responsibility than you can handle and then do less than quality work.

#3: Put yourself first. When you are overwhelmed, the last thing you think of is doing something for yourself. Take some time to relax and do something you truly enjoy. It can be as simple as a few minutes alone to have a cup of tea. You have to respect your time in the same way you do for others. When you make yourself a priority, you will be more available to get organized, and this will reduce your stress levels.

Take a few minutes to determine where you can make some adjustments. Taking the time to organize your life can lift a great weight off your shoulders.