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declutter

May 07
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7 Psychological Benefits of an Organized Home

By Blog, Quick Organizing Tips, Simple Living 2 Comments

Untidy environments increase stress for most people. Do you declutter your mind while you declutter your home? Science says yes.

 
We all know the feeling after accomplishing that thing we’ve been putting off, and oftentimes that thing is tidying up. But where does that feeling come from, and how can we get more of it?  



Is this you?


People who have a hard time to declutter your home often struggle with:


  • Time management and project motivation
  • Feeling overwhelmed easily, which can lead to procrastination
  • Perfectionism and finishing tasks
  • Holding attention and being distracted frequently
  • Saying “no” to others
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Orderly environments are linked to more healthy choices.


Our surroundings shape our thinking. If you’re constantly looking at all the things you’re putting off, it’s going to reflect poorly on your mental health. It's more enticing to prepare healthy meals in an orderly kitchen with an easily accessible pantry, and most people sleep better in a tidy room with a made bed.

Pro Tip: Split your fridge, freezer, and pantry into sections that make sense to you, and put items back after use every time.  


Improve focus.


Disarray makes it harder to find what you need and makes you more prone to frustration. It may also distract you while doing another task. Declutter your home by sorting through visual clutter can help your focus and attention span.

Pro Tip: Start with your most frequently used spaces. Clear off your kitchen and bathroom counters. Find a place for each item.


 

Alleviate depression and anxiety.


The only thing a messy home can add to your life is more burden to your mind. Clutter will make you feel worse and scatterbrained, and it is more challenging to want to clear up the space when you see piles accumulating. You may not feel like doing it, but any small steps you can take will improve your overall mood.

Pro Tip: Ask for support while organizing. Having someone around can make the task less dull and more fun.  



Reduce dust and allergies.


You may think that your home is clean despite being disorganized. But you would be surprised at how much dust, pet debris, and mold can build up when hidden. It's important to regularly declutter your home, otherwise, it's harder to clean around piles of belongings.


Pro Tip: Give yourself 20 minutes a day to tidy up any piles laying around the house.  



Enhance self-esteem.

Cluttered spaces erode your confidence because it causes you to feel less in control of your life. Feeling proud and at ease in your home gives you an automatic confidence boost. A living environment that looks more respectable can be extremely empowering.

Pro Tip: Find inspirational pictures and try to imitate them in your home.  



Better relationships.


It’s a drain on your energy and for others in the home to keep clutter lying around. When a household can delegate organizational tasks to everyone, it creates a sense of teamwork and strengthens bonds. Plus, it gets everybody motivated when you can declutter your home together.

Pro Tip: Consider a “Homeless Things” basket for any items you find scattered around the house. Set a ritual once a week where each person checks the container to remove the items that belong to them.


 

Free up time and energy.


When you’re chasing mess after mess it’s impossible to mentally relax. There’s a reason insomnia is linked to disorganization and the accumulation of too many things. Having fewer things means making fewer choices throughout the day.

Pro Tip: Keeping a schedule for tidying up; maintaining a system is easier than creating a new one each time. Try to donate or sell items that you no longer need.

 
 

Decluttering can actually be quite therapeutic; play some relaxing music, visualize your desired “after” of the space, sort in a system that works for you, and simply enjoy the zen that comes with a tidied home.

 

Which room will YOU start in? Comment below!

 
 
 
 
 

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10 Day Decluttering Challenge

 

 

 

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Jun 19
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The Effect of Decluttering – An Interview

By Quick Organizing Tips, Raving Fans, Uncategorized No Comments

declutteringDeclutter time again? After a recent  Clear Out Your Clutter Day event I’ve kept in touch with some of the participants, followed their organizing stories and watched as their lives have become increasingly more exciting for them.  Among these participants – there always seems to be a small handful of people whose journey to be clutter free is worth retelling.

Kelly’s story is one of them.  Her’s is truly inspirational. What she has accomplished and the difference it has made in her life motivates ME. If it wasn’t clear to me before, it is surely clear now that decluttering is not just about having a clean beautiful space, it’s about making more room for a better life.  It’s an invitation to positive change!  I know I am convinced! What about you?  Why not hear it from Kelly too.

 

Decluttering Your Life is Important.

The difference getting organized can make in a person’s life is huge. Listen to how Kelly’s decluttering efforts have effected her!

 

You can find her interview here-


MP3 File

 

 

 

I want to hear from you! What has changed for you since Clear Out Your Clutter Day? What was your biggest decluttering success?

Mar 05
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Desk Organization: 5 Tips for an Uncluttered Desk

By Blog, Business Organizing, Home Office Organization, Organizing Paper Files No Comments

Desk Organization Tips to Clear Your Office Clutter

 

It’s the time of year again when we begin moving outdoors, taking in the crisp fresh air, and feeling a real sense of renewal!

 

And having your home and workspace organized helps immensely to welcome that wonderful freshness back into your life.

 

Check in with your Goals

 

Now is also the perfect time to assess where you’re standing with the commitments and goals you made to yourself in January.

 

Did you set out to be more active this year?

Be on time for meetings and stay ahead of deadlines?

Or maybe you set out to be better organized by finding great desk organization solutions?

 

Take a close look at your workspace and honestly answer these 3 questions:

 

  1. Where are the piles accumulating?
  2. What items don’t have a home?
  3. Is your Inbox on your computer overflowing with 100’s or even 1000’s of emails?
  4. Am I still in desperate need of office organization tips?

 

Your answers to these key questions will give you the clues for where you should start with these desk organization tips for your spring cleaning.

Why Wait to Spring Clean?

Welcome in the fresh air and get a head start this year
with our free Ultimate Spring Cleaning Checklist!

Download Here!

With these tips below, I recommend tackling one or two per day as to not overwhelm yourself right off the bat. It may start to feel really easy and freeing but remember to ration your energy so you can keep motivated and get your organizing done all week!

 

Most people only use 20 percent of what they have, 80 percent of the time. So with that in mind, let’s get moving and clear up your workspace!

 

Desk Organization Tips in 5 Easy Steps

 

Tip 1: Start with the Visible Piles First!

Period.

We can’t get to what we can’t even reach yet!

With our goal being to make a dramatic, visible result, we need to start with the visible things first.

 

Tip 2: Always Work in One Area at a Time

The goal here is to clear Command Central and create dramatic, visible results immediately. Starting with the top of your desk first.

What most desk organization tips won’t say is that people usually start with hidden piles in boxes or drawers, then after 2 hours they find themselves having not accomplished anything.

So to avoid this, grab 2 boxes and put every single piece of paper on your desk into box #1. Use box #2 for other desk things like pens, office supplies, books, and whatever else you have on your desk.

Now pick up the top piece of paper from box #1 and use the F.A.S.T. Principle™ – File it, Act on it, Schedule it, Toss it.

Handle each piece of paper in less than 60 seconds. Get rid of any decor items that you no longer love or that clutter up your desk.

 

Action Tip: Play your favourite music and set a timer for 1-2 hours.

 

Try to imagine when you walk into your office the next day. How will it feel to have a clear desk?

Likely like you’ve lifted 100 pounds off your shoulders!

Now let’s continue this desk organization process by tackling the piles on the floor using the F.A.S.T. Principle™.

Remember our time constraint for pieces of paper. There’s no time for lengthy evaluating here. The object of the game is to get this done as fast as possible.

Getting organized is a clarifying, cleansing way of connecting to what’s really important to you. You should enjoy the process and reward yourself along the way for all of your hard work!

 

Tip 3: Create Zones in Your Office

Action Tip: Beware of the hidden costs of clutter. It costs your time, money, and space to take care of the things you don’t use. Now play your favourite music, set a timer, and get down to work for a couple hours!

 

Think of your work area as having different activity zones. Consider how you move things across your desk, what items you use most frequently, and what relationships certain materials have with different desk activities.

 

Command Central zones could be:
  1. An In Tray for incoming mail
  2. An Out Tray for outgoing mail
  3. To-File Tray for papers to be filed
  4. Project file zone
  5. Reference file zone
  6. Resources zone

 

Action Tip: While advancing through these desk organization tips, group like activities or functions together, then label them and their areas for quick, easy access.

 

Tip 4: Conquer the Email Traffic Jam

Mismanaged incoming emails can become a significant drain on productivity. The more emails pile up, the less useful it is to the user and company.

On the other hand, an empty Inbox is a delight to look at!

It reminds us we are fully caught up.

Did you know that the real purpose of an Inbox is to serve as a temporary resting location for information and requested actions BEFORE they are read by you?

Our Inboxes are not a catch-all for everything we’ve ever received, and they’re also certainly not a replacement for our information filing systems.

Apply the F.A.S.T. Principle™ here with each email.

 

Tip 5: Organizing is a Process, NOT a Destination

Action Tip: Only keep what you love and currently use on a regular basis!

 

Congratulate yourself for taking action on these desk organization tips this week and for clearing off your desk!

You’ve made some serious changes and that is definitely something to be celebrated.

Do keep in mind though, that organizing is a continual process of re-evaluating. You still need to evaluate what your goals are, what activities you currently enjoy, and what you don’t enjoy anymore, then edit accordingly.

 

Continually ask yourself these questions:
  1. Does it work?
  2. Do I like it?
  3. Does it work for others?

 

Action Tip: Be willing to adjust your systems as your professional and personal lives evolve. Don’t worry about mistakes along the way, it’s just important to keep learning!
 

 

What desk organization tips were your favorite? Comment below!

 

 

 

 

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