How to Organise Like a Pro and Why It's Important to Organise Your Personal Space!
Have you ever walked into a room, looked around, felt so uncomfortable and possibly even claustrophobic at the sheer chaos and asked yourself "how can this person live like this?" I've seen a number of homes where not even a surface can be seen, I couldn't even tell what colour the floor was supposed to be due to the sheer volume of mess! Dishes pilled as high as the eye could see, a dirty dish rag that I'm pretty sure was growing something new......and a pile of washing dumped in the middle of the floor. Empty take-out containers literally everywhere, an overflowing waste bin, an empty paint can, a random bra, the bottom half of a games console and an assortment of random wires! And did I mention, this was the lounge? I didn't know where to put my eyes first.
Don't misinterpret what I'm saying here, I know there are so many different reasons why people sometimes feel out of their depth and unable to cope keeping their homes tidy and clutter free. If somebody has a mental health problem, for example, it can take all of their energy just to get out of bed in the morning, let alone spend time sorting and organising. Perhaps there are physical limitations that make it difficult for some people. But did you know that there are actually psychological as well as physical benefits to having a tidy personal space and a clutter free home? It reduces stress and anxiety levels for example. Depression levels are reduced as the person feels a sense of accomplishment and productivity levels are increased. A clutter free environment has also been proven to improve levels of sleep and believe it or not, it can even improve a couples sex life!
How do you start to organise and de-clutter when you really don't have the motivation to do so?
Tip #1: Start small, pick one room and in that one room pick one cupboard/drawer/wardrobe/unit etc. Get 2 large boxes and label then "KEEP" and "BIN" or if it is clothing or toys perhaps get a third box and label the 3 boxes "KEEP", "BIN" and "CHARITY SHOP". Then empty out everything from the cupboard/drawer/wardrobe/unit that you intend to organise and de-clutter. Once emptied out, grab the vacuum cleaner and a wet cleaning cloth and some soapy water. When emptied, use the stretchy end of the vacuum cleaner to vacuum up any loose bits from inside the cupboard/drawer/wardrobe/unit and then use the wet cloth to go over all of the surfaces inside the cupboard/drawer/wardrobe/unit.
Tip #2: This is usually the time when people start to procrastinate and waste time, you need to be quite strict with yourself here and perhaps consider setting yourself a time limit. This should not be regarded as any sort of punishment or torturous task as it is not at all. This is however the time when people begin to start reminiscing on old memories of the last time they wore that dress or the last time they used that casserole dish and by the time they have finished procrastinating, hours have passed and they have only sorted out a fraction of what they intended to sort out, so try being a little stricter with yourself at this point.
Tip #3: Use the 6 month rule - if you haven't worn it / used it for the last 6 months, ask yourself (and be completely honest with yourself when you answer), am I going to use it in the next 6 months? If the answer is a genuine yes then put it in the keep box. If the answer is a no then depending on what it is and the condition of it, either put it in the bin box, or the charity box. Obviously there will be some things that may have sentimental value and it is up to you whether you keep these or not. Continue doing this until you have sorted out everything that was taken out of the cupboard/drawer/wardrobe/unit etc. Once you've done the lot, everything in the keep box, put back in the cupboard/drawer/wardrobe/unit. The rest will either be put in the bin or taken to the rubbish tip, or taken to a charity shop. Congratulations, you have just successfully sorted out your cupboard/drawer/wardrobe/unit.
Can I organise the cupboard/drawer/wardrobe/unit before I put my "keep" items back so I don't have to keep on de-cluttering?
Of course you can and there are several ways you can do this, depending on whether you have used a cupboard, a drawer, a wardrobe or a unit. Before putting anything back here are a few tips to help you stay clutter free in your newly cleared space.
First, make sure to clear and measure your space. There is no point in buying sets of clear acrylic pull out drawers, lidded containers or clear acrylic drawer organiser sets only to find you don’t have the space or they don’t fit so get the tape measure out and measure the internal dimensions of the space you are intending to use.
Secondly, make a plan. Set out everything you need to get organised in the space you have just cleared, this might be just a small area where you need to store blankets or pet toys in your living room, toys in the kids’ bedrooms, or the area under your sink where you need to store all your cleaning equipment. This might be pre-bought items such as storage boxes, drawers, drawer organisers, folding baskets and crates, pull out units etc.
Thirdly, think about access, how frequently are you going to need to get access to these items? If it’s needing to be stored for 6 months due to seasonal changes such as a spare duvet or winter clothing, perhaps try these vacuum compression storage bags with airtight valve and hand pump from Amazon. These shrink down to almost nothing, and can even be stored in the loft.
If you’re storing pet accessories or toys for the kids, perhaps consider these large grey storage baskets with handles or this lovely large white rope storage basket they are both in neutral colours and available in others, large enough to accommodate storage of a variety of different household items and stylish enough to blend into any surrounding décor.
When looking to organise drawers, make sure to utilise spring loaded adjustable drawer dividers, and depending on the size drawer, these taller adjustable drawer dividers and drawer organiser trays make the storing of both small and medium sized items much easier.
Organising time and family
Perhaps it's your time that your need to organise. Time management is particularly important when you also have a family to care for or people who are in some way depending on you so depending on what you need to organise, consider purchasing a personal organiser. You could have a physical organiser such as the A6 or A5 sized Rubywoo personal organiser or the A6 sized leather ring binder in marble design with separate inserts such as dividers and refillable paper, to do lists, calendar for either weekly or daily needs that can be tailored to your needs. There are also digital organisers available to purchase and download from various sites if you are more technical.
Why not try a magnetic weekly planner that sticks to the side of the refrigerator or a magnetic menu board that can help with both meal planning and saving money. I have also found that keeping a magnetic tear off shopping list on the fridge-freezer has helped considerably to keep the cost down with food shopping as I go to the supermarket with a fully prepared list that has been completed by everybody in the household so I am not second-guessing what is needed by people.
Don’t be afraid of labels, labels are the best friend of anybody who wants to be truly organised. You can order pre-printed labels for your necessities or invest in a label maker, that way you’ll always have the ability to print your own labels at the drop of a hat! We’ll cover labels and label makers in another post though.
For those of you who are finding it difficult to find any motivation to de-clutter and organise your home, I hope I have helped a little bit with the tips above and been able to provide you with links to some truly helpful products that have helped me and my family to get organised and have made our lives a little easier.
Stay tuned for part 2 of how to organise like a pro……
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