Banishing chaos and creating order around us makes us calmer, according to the authors of Declutter Your Mind. Subtitled How to Stop Worrying, Relieve Anxiety and Eliminate Negative Thinking, the book, by SJ Scott and Barrie Davenport, suggests that if we simplify our lives and our homes we can defeat the stress of modern life and create space in our minds for happiness. Their method, which is influenced by Buddhism, sets out how to do this.

Here are some steps you can take to simplify your life:

• Write down your tasks and aims, in order of priority. Really consider what matters most to you (work, family, health, personal growth, social life etc).
• Look at your relationships. Identify which ones are positive and which negative, and avoid the latter.
• Concentrate on the here and now, rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.
• Less is more. That applies to both the material things and the mental distractions that surround you.
• Cherish household chores. According to Zen Buddhism, the ritual of cleaning and tidying our homes each day is essential to nourish our souls, rather like meditation. It helps us to leave behind things that contribute nothing but cloud our minds.
• Reduce the amount of objects you own. (Don’t throw things away. Thank them for their service and give them to people who need them.)
• Surround yourself only with things of real use and value to you.
• Put everything in its place.

Source: Declutter Your Mind. How to Stop Worrying, Relieve Anxiety and Eliminate Negative Thinking, by SJ Scott Barrie and Davenport, Oldtown Publishing.