6 Easy Steps to Getting Organized and Reducing Stress
There are plenty of organization tips and tricks that can work to de-clutter even the most cluttered of areas.
Before you go out and buy tons of storage and organization items or tools consider what you actually need. I went through the stacks of papers and piles of books and made some hard decisions about what could stay and what simply had to go. Sentimentality need not apply to this project. While I sifted through papers I came across stacks of notes taken during my college career. It was a time warp, even if those days were just a few years ago. I had to toss them even though it brought a twinge of sadness to my soul. In retrospect I don’t miss them a bit, really when was I going to have the urge to review scribbled notes from a semester of abnormal psychology. This is perhaps the most difficult organization tip, it is hard to throw away things you love or place them in storage far from view.
Once you have tossed what needs to go in the garbage you should be left with a more manageable pile of items. Consider what you use on a daily basis and what you might need at some point. Things that are used regularly can stay in storage devices in plan sight while items that are used more infrequently can be organized in storage boxes and bins for easy access when the need for them arises. It is time to begin the storage process.
Now that you have stacks separated neatly it may be time for a trip to the store. Assess what you need and go and get it. My number one goal was to take things off the floor and desk and put them higher up in order to make the space look clutter free. My second goal was to bring in different storage devices and organizational tools that matched my needs. Invest in a shelving unit. Not only do they help organize a space and bring things off the floor but they can fill dead wall space as well, wall mounted units are my preference. Storage devices are a must have when you are getting organized. If you do not want to spend big money on storage devices you could always use old shoe boxes covered in paper, photo boxes are great for storage. They can be found for about two dollars a piece at most craft stores and are a perfect solution for hiding unsightly ripped open envelopes. They come in a variety of colors from cream to hot pink and every shade in between. If you have free closet space in the room you are organizing canvas storage bins are a great organizational tool. Consider using storage bins to line the floor of the closet. It makes storage simple and organized while keeping the area aesthetically pleasing. Storage boxes and bins work for shoes, art supplies, toys and a variety of other random items. If your plan is to create organization you must create completely in a room so make sure every item has a place.
Once you’ve grabbed your organization and storage loot from the store head right back home and get to the task at hand. The bags full of tools will only create more clutter if they are not utilized. Head back to the two piles that have been created and organize them accordingly keeping like items with like items. The storage boxes or bins you have picked up should be labeled. Photo boxes have handy little tabs were you can slip a piece of paper in to label what the item is. A hand written sheet or a printed out label will do just fine. If you have an impressive pen collection use a mug or something similar to organize them. Currently a small vase is working as a rather handy pen cup. If you are an avid collector of baseball cards stack them together and put them in one of the storage boxes you have purchased. Unless you search through them on a daily or near daily basis they will be perfectly safe in an easily accessible closet.
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Books should be organized by subject and/or author. Organizing according to common theme makes things rather easy to find in my opinion. Place them on shelves that are easily accessible until they are needed. When you’ve organized everything that belongs in a box or bin into their designated holder consider what you need at your finger tips and place the items accordingly. If you are using a wall mounted shelving unit place daily items on lower shelves so that they can easily be grabbed. Bins that are placed in the closet can be sorted in the same way. The most important bin should be in the most accessible area of the closet.
While it ideal for organization efforts to include the removal of items don’t deprive yourself. Not everything has to go into storage and you can still display things around the room, it just needs to be in appropriate order. I take photographs and I didn’t want to throw them in a storage box simply because I launched into an organization spree. I took the pictures I loved the most and created a mural on the wall with them. The pictures I did not put on the wall ended up in a storage box. The same concept went for shoes. It’s easier to have one pair handy and out, however when 15 pairs are strung about the room you run into problems. One or two often used shoes can be left out, it will not thwart organization however items that are less likely to be used belong in a storage device.
Once you’re done you can sit back and look at your handy work, you’ll feel a sense of pride, but such a project is on going and things can quickly get out of order if you allow yourself to slip back into the habit of not putting items away or allowing unnecessary junk to stick around longer than it needs to. I subscribe to the quick pick up method of cleaning. Organization can not be a one time deal, just like dieting, organization can only be maintained if you are willing to do the upkeep. Every day when I am completely done using the space items go back were they belong and they stay there until they are needed again. Mail gets put into a storage box and other tools go back to their home as well. Remember to make sure your organization plan does not get off track. If one storage box is designated for paper only don’t throw random odds and ends in with them. What you end up with is a storage box that was meant to help with organization but has it’s own brand of disorder instead. The whole process takes five minutes and in the end saves a ton of time in the long run. You don’t want to turn around two months down the road and realize you are in the same organization predicament you were in before you decided to get organized.
Set out an organization plan, buy the storage you need and stick to the plan on a daily basis. Hard storage and organization work can be destroyed quickly.
