Clutter can weigh us down both physically and mentally. A clean and tidy space will reduce stress and increase productivity. These three tips will help you organize and feel better in your home.
Evaluate and Set Intentions
The first step to getting organized is to evaluate each room carefully. Take stock in how your environment is making you feel. When you walk into your bedroom, do you feel overwhelmed or relaxed?
Establish what purpose you want the space to serve. By doing so, you'll have an idea of what things should be there and what shouldn't. Some rooms have a specific function, like eating and cooking in a kitchen. Other spaces serve multiple purposes, like a guest bedroom/home office.
If you don't already have defined intentions for each room, set them. When you do, it will be much easier to figure out how to organize accordingly.
Sort Your Stuff
The sorting process also involves a level of evaluation. During this step, you'll look at each item currently around the room and decide if and where you should keep it.
To get started sorting your bits, make sure you have some trash bags, storage containers, and labels or signage. Set up an area where you'll be able to lay everything out and visualize each item.
This step in organizing can get a little messy. You'll have to take everything out so you can take a good hard look at it all.
Conduct a rough sort initially, and place items in a “purge,” “relocate,” and “keep” pile. By dividing your stuff into respective categories, the whole organization process will be more manageable. You may even find some things that you completely forgot you had.
Once you've identified what you're keeping in each room, allocate it a place. Subdivide larger storage spaces and use containers to keep small items organized.
Kick the Clutter to the Curb
For many people, the hardest part of organizing is throwing away the junk. That said, purging your space of excess clutter is essential to staying tidy and feeling lighter.
Remember that time we used a convert cassette to CD service? It's time to do it again. The collection of discs in your office is taking up too much room; it's time to turn them into MP3 files. You'll have more space for the things that you use.
Deciding what to throw out isn't easy, especially if you're a sentimental person. However, once you lighten your load, you'll feel better. Ask yourself a few questions when you're deciding whether or not something stays or goes:
- Do I love this?
- Does this make me feel happy?
- When was the last time I used this?
- Can I easily replace this?
- What's the worst thing that will happen if I get rid of this item?
Once you decide what you want to toss out, you'll want to figure out where it will go. There are so many items that can be recycled and upcycled. Check out your community's recycling options before you throw it in the garbage.
If whatever it is is in good shape, then you can also consider selling or donating it. You can schedule a donation pickup or post a listing on social media, and you might be able to send off your items to a new home.
A Final Thought
Undertaking a complete room organization is a big task, but it'll get easier once you get the hang of the process. While these three steps will help you get tidy, make sure to take a few minutes every day to maintain the order and put everything in its proper place.
