As a professional organizer I speak to a lot of people about their struggles to keep an organized home. One complaint I hear often might be something you can relate to:
“I never feel like I can relax at home because of the clutter.”
Whether it’s stuff sitting out on the kitchen counter or a basement full of things we have no use for, clutter weighs on us. It’s a constant reminder that we have put off making decisions about what to do with our things, so we just set them down to be dealt with another day.
I am very much a homebody and I truly believe our homes should be our sanctuaries. Home should be the place we feel most comfortable and at peace. But it’s hard to feel this way when you’re tripping over shoes as soon as you walk in the door!
Most of us don’t like a lot of stuff sitting out, so in an effort to clear our spaces we hide things away in closets or cabinets to deal with another day. I tend to keep the main areas of my home tidy, but I, too, am guilty of putting things away that I don’t have time to deal with in the moment. I have noticed that “out of sight, out of mind” is not really true: the clutter that I have tucked away in storage spaces weighs on my mind a little bit and prevents me from being fully present. For example, my home office is a place where a lot of those things end up, and I am starting to realize this is impacting my work productivity!
So what is the first step to making a more peaceful and clutter-free home? I recommend starting in the places that bother you the most, the places where you catch yourself feeling annoyed on a regular basis. Try to pay attention to those moments when you’re thinking “Ugh, I really need to get to that.” Even spending 15 minutes addressing that area will make you feel accomplished for getting started. I recommend using a timer to keep you focused during your organizing sessions, and scheduling dates in your calendar to address the bigger projects. It can be challenging to get started, but the reward of being able to truly relax at home will be worth it!
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Make it fab!
Carrie