Clean House - Clean Mind - Can a Clean Environment Add Some Zen Focus to Your Poker Game?

Sometimes we all let things stack up a bit.  This can be anything from dishes to newspapers.  For you it could be cigarette wrappers or just general clutter.  Perhaps your pet bird just died and you forgot to clean up the carcass.  For most of us it never gets quite that bad but my point is how does your environment affect your poker game?  If the only thing that ever stacked up was the chips then it wouldn't matter but that isn't always the case.  I want to give you the tools to improve your game by whatever means possible and that includes looking at your lifestyle. 

I find that if the area around my desk or wherever I'm working is clear then I seem to be more focused and better able to get deeper into big field online no limit hold' em tournaments.  This is all theory at the moment but since I'm mostly involved in deeper fields these days I'm going to try a little experiment and I welcome you to try it as well.

Lately the abode has been a little cluttered to say the least.  This morning I decided to skip one tournament and do a bit of cleaning in hopes that my performance in later tournaments would be improved by having a more focused mind and a more tidy environment.

There are a number of articles floating around the web on the subject of health and focus when it comes to tidiness.  I'm going to list a few here but there are many more out there.

Over at care2.com Annie B. Bond writes,
"When you live surrounded by clutter, it is impossible to have clarity about what you are doing in your life. When you clear it... you can think more clearly, and life decisions become easier. Being clear of clutter is one of the greatest aids I know to discovering and manifesting the life you want." full article

Zenhabits.com has this handy list to help you keep your home clean and stress free.  Poker can be very stressful at times and anything that we can do to reduce this stress is welcome.

Sarah Jio for Glamour writes,

"People who clean regularly, may be more motivated, disciplined and active in general...I know for a fact that I'm not at my best mentally or physically when the laundry pile begins to resemble a small mountain, or the dust bunnies appear in the corners of the living room. A clean house, for me, personally, is a sign of a clear mind and a healthy bod"  Click here for full article.

Rebecca Thorman over at blog alice writes, "I envy the people that can let go. Even just a bit."

She might not really envy some of us that seem to live in a perpetual state of clutter but it's interesting that she has the opposite problem and thinks that she is too tidy.  I wish I had this problem.

Here's a Fox Business video on organization and productivity.

Marissa at Sparkle and Reflect writes,

"...I actually just Googled what that quote was, in case I totally made it up and it seems I might have. Cleanliness is next to godliness?  I don't think that was it.  I've never been entirely sure what that meant, anyway.  But, you know when you clean and organize everything around you and your mind feels suddenly at ease?"

I really hope she shows up at one of my tables.

You might think it makes no difference whether your desk is clean or whether there's eight months worth of chip bags strewn around your apartment.  Maybe you don't give a rats rear if there's something living under that pile of clothes in the corner.  I think it does make a difference and I think it will help your game if you take some time to focus and set up your chip stacking fortress of zen!  I challenge all who read this to give it a try and let me know if your tournament focus improves.  While you're cleaning up your home you can think about odds, relax and get your mind into a good space for the next tournament.

So tidy up those peanut shells you've been walking over in between SNGs.  Sweep up that mug you broke two months ago. Put the dirt devil to work on that pile of bat guano on the mantle... okay perhaps I went a bit too far with that one. :-) Good luck on the felt everyone and see you at the tables!