When you’re already feeling a little irritated, being surrounded by clutter is a quick way to send your stress levels through the roof. Is there anything worse than having to dig through useless items to find what you need, or when you go for something to realize it’s not in the right place? Clutter and mess aren’t just bad for physical health (they can cause dust to accumulate and even mean pest problems aren’t noticed easily) but they’re also bad for mental health, too. Even just a bit of mess in areas around the home can be affecting you in ways you don’t realize. With the promise of a brand new year ahead of us, there’s no better time than the present to tackle any clutter and mess you’ve been dealing with for far too long. Here are some of the ways you can ensure a tidy home.
Regularly Declutter
Decluttering is an ongoing process. It’s not just something you can do once since new things will be coming into the home all the time. Make the time to declutter on a regular basis – at the start of each season is useful. Hoarding things you no longer need or use means it takes up space for things that are useful. Instead of sifting through cupboards or drawers full of junk every time you need an item, keep things to a minimum.
People can experience feelings of guilt when throwing things away as it can feel like wasted money, but if it’s something that’s sitting around not being used then there’s no point in keeping it. Get hold of three large boxes or containers, label one bin ‘charity,’ another bin ‘friends and family,’ and the last bin can be for the items you no longer need – aka the TRASH BIN. This makes it a little easier to make the decision of parting with things.
Find Good Storage and Organization
Once you’ve gotten rid of items that you’re no longer using, find suitable ways to store everything else. Good storage systems, and getting into the habit of using them properly will help your day to run so much more smoothly. When you need to find something, you know exactly where to look. When you’re tidying up, you know that everything has a home and where it needs to go. It could be a filing cabinet or file organizer for your paperwork. It could be bins and baskets to keep shelves and cupboards neat, or drawer dividers for drawers.
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Improve Your Home
Generally improving your property with some house renovations could be a good way to go. When your house looks nice, you will be far more inclined and motivated to keep it neat and organized. You could change up the wall color, replace the floor coverings or even have an extension. If you struggle with lack of space even after decluttering it’s a sign your home might be too small for your family. A loft conversion, garden room, basement conversion or anything else could provide you with the additional space that you need.
A home that is clean and looks nice will boost your mood and leave you feeling happy rather than stressed. Make your property a place that you can’t wait to return to at the end of each day.
What systems do you have in place to keep your home tidy and organized?
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We are doing a decluttering series at my library based on a book by Marie Kondo. We had 63 people at the first session yesterday! Wowza! I need to declutter!! Thanks for your tips! kristiedonelson(at)gmail(dot)com Thank you! Happy January!