If you've been feeling anxious lately and you've already hit your yoga mat and gulped down an antioxidant packed green juice without results, it might time to double check your environment. Super foods and wellness wonders like yoga and meditation get a lot of hype for their calming effects, but organizing experts say that decluttering your life and your home can positively affect your state of mind. That messy desk may be messing with your productivity.
Are your kitchen cabinets packed with kitchenware you never use? Is your garage filled to the brim with childhood memories and miscellaneous junk? Or maybe your closet is still full of clothes you haven't worn in years?
A overcrowded, unorganized home can lead to an overcrowded, anxious mind. What you absorb from your surroundings has a major impact on your mood. Here's a few helpful tips to help you tackle the excess stuff in your home so you can enjoy the benefits of a clearer mind!
Clear Out Clutter
Cluttered RoomTwiniversity
To help you get motivated, think about how much time and money you could save by having a clutter free home. When your home is organized it's easier to find what you need, when you need it. Plus, you may find things you've completely forgotten about, allowing you to save money by actually using what you already own.
Before you get organizing though, you need to decide what's worth keeping. Organizing experts recommend starting with one area at a time. Additionally, try to make it as fun as possible! Blast your favorite music, wrangle clutter clearing friends over to help, and work at a realistic pace.
Another great clutter clearing tip is to pretend that you're moving as you go through everything. When you've settled into a home you're more likely to make excuses for keeping extra things lying around, so acting like you're gearing up for a major move can force you to keep only the things you really need and actually use. Remember the three year rule: If you haven't used it, worn it, or missed it in 3 years, toss it or donate it.
Organize Small Spaces First
Organized junk drawerBrit & Co.
If you don't have time to organize your entire home, start with the small spaces. Small organized spaces like drawers and kitchen cabinets can actually make the biggest difference in your everyday life. An organized drawer, bathroom cabinet, or cleaning supply shelf can save you a lot of time and headaches later.
Figure out what spaces you use the most, and start there. Make it easier to put things away by using drawer dividers, pot rack stackers, spinning caddies, baskets, and conveniently placed hooks. Every item should have a home.
Group Like Items Together
Organized kitchen pantryMy Home Design
Putting like things together helps create organization out of chaos. It also makes it a lot faster to find what you're looking for. Start with larger categories, and then break them down into subcategories. Example: Choose a shelf in the pantry forcanned goods, and then break it down into more specific rows like soups, tomato products, beans, etc.
Organizing by groups doesn't always mean that every item has to be the same, you can group by excess items: all extra toothpaste in it's own basket under the sink. By project or activity: everything you need for your coffee in one jar. By person: all house members get their own hook by the door for their scarves and hats. You can even arrange items by how often they're used: all your yoga gear together in the front section of your closet.
Cut Down on Clutter Hot Spots
Organized deskKnock Knock Stuff
Flat surfaces, especially near doors, are hot spots for collecting junk. Dining tables, coffee tables, desks, kitchen counters. We tend to throw things on the closest flat surface and then forget it until the clutter is so noticeable it's time to clean.
Organizing experts recommend making it a nightly routine to clear any clutter left on flat surfaces. You can also try eliminating the temptation all together by decorating these spaces with flowers, placemats, desk organizing tools, and decorative bowls.
Use Clear Storage Containers
Organizing with clear storage containersMy Home Design
Some people love to go crazy with labeling when they organize, but clear storage containers can be even more convenient. You can see exactly what's inside each container, which makes it fast and easy to grab what you want. Clear storage containers also help you keep track of which items you're low on and can actually inspire you to keep things more organized.
Use smaller clear storage containers in the kitchen for dry goods, spices, and even produce in the fridge. You can also use larger clear storage containers to organize clothes, cleaning supplies, desk supplies and more. Buy a variety of sizes and use them everywhere!