It’s been proven in quite a few scientific studies that clutter, mess and disorganization effect people psychologically yet it is something most household have to a varying degree. The more cluttered and in disarray my surroundings our the worse I feel. It’s also something that can get out of control quickly. Below are a few basic tips to help you keep your surroundings in order and make your home a more peaceful place to be. Make sure to check out our full organization category as it’s filled with great ideas to help you get organized on a budget!
Getting Started: 3 Box Rule
If you have a larger problem my 3 Box Rule Dejunking : Key To Easy Clutter Removal is a system I’ve used for years when it’s time to do some de-cluttering. It’s simplistic and can help you get started if you’re overwhelmed.
Everything Has a Home
I’ve used this system since my now grown kids were tiny. It is integral in making sure you home easily stays organized, the key being, every time in your house has a place it belongs. It’s “home” so to speak. Therefore anytime something needs put away, everyone in the family knows where it goes. If your home is in disarray this can take a while to set up but it’s so worth it!
Stop It At The Door
When you’re coming home from work or from a day out, you’re likely to have a number of things that you’ve brought through the door. The important thing to do at this point is to stop it before it goes any further into your home and gets lost amongst everything else. It’s worth it to have a side table or area where you can put stuff that you brought in. Then once time has passed, you can go through this stuff in case you got distracted by something at the time. You can sort through this all instead of bringing in into your home and for it to be found only months later. Some ideas in general can be found on our post How to Stop Losing Your Cell Phone.
Get A Storage Unit
Some households may not have enough physical space to hold all of their belongings in the home. Therefore, they may need to look for other alternatives, and in this case, storage units are a great way of saving your valuables. Storage units are actually more secure than your own homes, so it may be worth transferring all of your valuable belongings to here so that it’s well protected. Most storage units will come with manned, 24-hour security and that’s something that’s hard to get in your home. Make sure that the unit is close by and within driving distance of your home, just in case you would need access to it. It’s also something you would need to mention in your will, should you pass with it still in your possession.
Do A Weekly Or Monthly Purge
To stay on top of things, a weekly or monthly purge is required. It’s like cleaning, in that you need to keep on top of it in order for it not to build up again to a point where it’s frustrating to you and your household. Gather the household together and go through what’s appeared around the home and has no place of its own to live in or on. This will certainly help keep on top of things, especially with the whole family involved.
Define What’s Value And What’s Trash
And finally, the reason for clutter is that it can be lost in translation over what’s of value and what’s trash. Some things might be sentimental, but it’s important to find the joy in something, and if it’s not there, then it can be thrown away. Our 3 Box Rule to Delcuttering helps a lot with this. I keep a “Donate” box in the garage to easily toss things that will be dropped off at the local Goodwill or thrift store. Marie Kondō has a wonderful way to delcutter and determine what is worth keeping and what is not.
Clutter can make a home feel like a constant mess and can contribute to anxiety for everyone who lives there. You will be amazed at how un-cluttering your home can make it a more peaceful place.
