When your stressed you often live with clutter. Clutter in your home, in your office, your car and your life. It may not be easy but it's fairly simple to begin to declutter your environment. You select a room or area to declutter and begin to clear out the area by throwing things that are unusable and giving away items that are usable but you no longer need. The difficult part is to give up those items that you're emotionally attached to. Clutter comes in all forms, from the never ending to do list, the messy bathroom to stress of holding onto a relationship that is literally destroying your mind.

But what about the mind. Clutter in the mind causes confusion, you may experience loss of energy and overwhelm. But you can't throw out the mind or give it away because it's usable but you no longer need it.

One way to declutter the mind is to simply write. That may seem oversimplified but it's a fact. When you write about a stressful situation you not only record your thoughts but you defuse the stress. A stress journal is the perfect solution.

Steps to stress journaling

1. Select a journal that is pleasing to look at and small enough to carry with you throughout the day.

2. Find a quiet comfortable location to write. A place that you find particularly peaceful and relaxing.

3. If possible put on relaxing music that will set your mood and tone for writing. If time allows focus on the music for a few minutes. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths this has a calming effect on your mood.

4. Begin to write. Let your creativity flow. Write about yourself. But don't judge your writing. Don't attempt to write a book or in a manner that isn't natural for you. Write the way you talk. Write about your accomplishments of the day. Writing takes the stress from your mind and places it on a piece of paper, bringing you a sense of calm.

5. Stick with it by writing everyday for five to ten minutes even if it's hard at first. You'll find that in a few weeks you'll look forward to writing in your stress journal.

It's time to make a commitment to live the stressfree life. Journal, meditate and be at peace. Don't be afraid of your feelings. Writing is effective in releasing your feelings and it doesn't have to be shared with anyone. Let your feelings show on paper. There is not right way to write - journaling will declutter your mind.

Now it's time to learn more about how to live a stress free life and most importantly to commit and take action.