Is clutter chaos causing you stress? For many people, even the mere presence of extra mess is an unwelcome distraction. It becomes a nagging visual reminder of what needs to be done, costing you valuable productive time every single time you look at it and mentally process what needs to be done to remedy the situation.
Even if you can tolerate the random piles building up on every horizontal surface or overstuffed drawers and closets that you can barely open, much less find anything in, chances are that your clutter is causing you stress when you need to get out the door and can’t find that important file or even worse, forget it because it was hiding among the clutter.
That’s why it’s time to spring clean your habits — out with the old and in with the new! (And yes, even if you are a mild version of the above scenario, it’s worth the effort to get your home and office organized and functioning properly so your day-to-day life is clutter and stress-free.)
5 Ways to Live a Happier (Tidier) Life:
#1: Manage the Horizontal Surfaces — Always keep horizontal surfaces clear and clutter-free (because we all know that clutter attracts more clutter and before you know it, those one or two items left behind turn into messy piles that drive you crazy and take a lot more effort to get rid of).
#2: Establish a Tidy-Up Routine — Make it a rule to always clean up after every project or activity. It’s much easier to spend a few extra minutes at the end than it is to go back and clean up later on. Get the whole family involved! Make it the kids’ responsibility to clean up after family activities or mealtimes.
#3: Let Go of the Unnecessary — Stop hoarding (and that rule applies to both physical and digital hoarding)! Be ruthless about getting rid of the stuff you no longer need in your closet, in your storage room, in your pantry and on your computer! All that extra stuff makes it harder for you to find the stuff you actually do need!
#4: Designate Drop Zones — Make it easy to do quick pick-ups by leaving a tidy-up box in each room or area of the house. The trick is that these drop zones must be emptied and sorted regularly, especially if important items make their way into them.
#5: Finish the Day Organized — Get in the habit of taking time at the end of every day to reset your organization! What that means for you depends on your daily routine, but a good place to start is clearing your desk, reviewing your calendar, setting the next day’s priorities and prepping for whatever is happening the next day.
