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Strategies for Organizing Clutter
Author: Stef Daniel
Clutter is just another word for environmental chaos. When it surrounds you in your everyday life, it can make things twice as hard, but also confusing, frustrating, and irritating. After all, it shouldn’t be that hard to find socks that match, a brush, or the electric bill that was due yesterday. At the same time, organizing your clutter can feel like a huge job - one that you are certain you don’t have the time for. I mean, where would you even start, and how in the world can you find time to organize when you barely have time to take a shower? Guess what, you can! Try these tips that will help you organize the clutter in your life so you can take a breath and escape the chaos that seems to follow you.
- Take one CORNER at a time. If your living room looks like a hurricane hit it, instead of working on the entire room, tackle just one of the problem areas at a time. For instance, the media center. Organize this section while you and the kids are watching Dora.
- Don’t be afraid to get rid of things! In fact, you can probably trash or donate nearly half of the clutter taking up your space. Get a big box and start sorting things out that you no longer need or use. Getting rid of the old makes room for the new. Go into your organization efforts with the firm decision that you will get rid of half of your clutter by moving it out of the house, not just to another area. When you are done, you will feel like a brand new person.
- Use ten minutes a day to organize. Resorting back to the media center project from above, instead of putting demands on your time that you are going to organize it until it is completely through – commit to spending ten minutes there. Then, the next time you have ten minutes to spare, you can go back to it until it is finished. If you overdo it, you will start with gusto but lose steam when life comes crashing down on your plans.
- Yes, some people alphabetize their soups. While manic and wonderful, it may not work for you. When you organize, try to put things in categories instead. Every closet and space in your home should be utilized for a category. Labeling boxes and baskets is a good way to make the most use of the space you have and make sure that you keep like items in one place. Color or season-coding closets makes organizing them much easier and less stressful. Plus, you can find things easier when your storage makes sense, and keeping things organized in the long term is a breeze.
- Make organization a commitment. Even though you are in a rush, once you get an area of your home organized, keep it that way. It takes just a few seconds to put things back in their place before scrambling out the door. If you take extra seconds throughout the day to keep things neat and tidy, they will stay that way!
- Make organization a family goal. Even your toddler is old enough to stay organized. Make sure that everyone in your home knows where things go and that cleaning up every day is a family priority. There are plenty of ways to make clean-up fun for little ones. You may turn into a nag for a short while, but eventually the whole family will be accustomed to organization and it becomes a way of life.
Organizing clutter will not just make you feel better, but it will also give you the advantage of having more time on your hands. Plus, universal law suggests that as we get rid of the old in our life, we make plenty of room for all the new experiences in our life that make life abundant. Organizing clutter can be the first step in de-stressing your life and the space you live in.
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