For many individuals, the desire to enhance organization skills is strong. Nonetheless, the initial steps often appear daunting.
A cluttered environment, filled with stacks of paperwork, messy drawers, and cramped closets, can easily divert attention and sap productivity.
The Impact of Clutter
Various studies demonstrate the adverse effects of a disordered living space. These consequences include reduced focus and efficiency, heightened stress levels, and diminished overall life satisfaction.
1. Organize Your Clothes
One effective way to start organizing is by file-folding shirts and pants in your dresser drawers. This method, popularized by Marie Kondo, helps in keeping your clothes visible and easily accessible. Wardrobe stylist and home organizer Iris Miyasaki recommends sorting your clothing by silhouette and folding them vertically in the drawer like a file folder in a filing cabinet.
To enhance this method, Miyasaki suggests keeping different categories separated by columns and using drawer dividers to maintain the organization.
2. Spice Cabinet Refresh
Instead of overwhelming yourself with a full kitchen organization, begin with a spice cabinet refresh. Spend 15 minutes going through a shelf in your spice cabinet, discard expired items, consolidate duplicates, and wipe down the shelf. This small task can have a significant impact on your kitchen organization.
3. Create a Drop Zone
Set up a designated "drop zone" in your home where you can temporarily place items that need to be put away later. Use a basket or decorative bowl in high-traffic areas to collect these out-of-place items, and spend 15 minutes daily relocating them to their proper places.
4. Manage Your Mail Efficiently
Sort your mail standing by the trash can each day. Quickly discard junk mail and categorize the remaining mail into "needs action" and "for review." Developing this daily habit will prevent mail piles from accumulating and causing mental overwhelm and visual clutter.
5. Label High-Touch Areas
Add labels to commonly used parts of your home to establish boundaries for specific items. Whether using a label maker or clear scotch tape with a sharpie, labeling helps everyone in the household maintain organization. For instance, label shelves to differentiate between water glasses and mugs storage.
6. Mini Closet Clean-Out
Take a few minutes to do a mini closet clean-out by removing items you haven't worn in two years, those that make you uncomfortable, or that give you negative feelings about your body. Separate these items into a donate pile and a "maybe" pile. Store the "maybe" items out of sight and set a reminder to review them in a month or two for potential donation.
By starting with these small but impactful tasks, you can gradually improve the organization in your living space without feeling overwhelmed.
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Video by Rustic Honey
