If any of you are like me then you know how hard it is to get rid of stuff. I always seem to find reasons to keep things such as clothes, knick-knacks and other small household items even when I clearly have no use for them. When I go to study or work on another project I find myself being distracted and less alert when my house is messy and full of these items that I don’t really use daily enough to keep. I feel like I can’t start anything until I am working in a more organized environment. I used to think that was just my way of procrastinating important homework but it turns out there’s actually a lot of science behind the feeling. According to a study done by researchers at the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute, physical clutter can negatively affect your ability to focus and process information. Having a cluttered environment keeps you distracted and less likely to complete tasks. Living in cluttered spaces is a bad habit that we need to kick together! So today we’re talking about how to make big organizing projects into more manageable tasks with a few simple tricks. The first mistake anyone can make when beginning an organizing project is that they start off with more than they can manage. You have to be realistic with yourself. Think about if you really have the time, the energy and the brainpower to tackle a certain space, for instance your whole house, in a day. I know that would overwhelm me! Start off with figuring which rooms in your house need immediate attention; which rooms do you find yourself avoiding or find yourself feeling uncomfortable in? Once that’s done allow yourself a certain amount of time to be organizing and cleaning; don’t wear yourself out! The best part about cleaning up a space is feeling accomplished and relieved once it’s taken care of! I would suggest setting aside an afternoon, around three or four hours total, to work. If it takes you three hours for one room then that’s okay! Don’t rush through a room just to get more than one done in a day. Once you’ve decided on what room(s) you’ll work on for that day then take the time to tidy up things such as beds and couches. Next designate a spot somewhere for three piles; a “sell” pile, a “donate” pile and a “toss” pile. Go around the room and start going through and picking out things that could go into each pile. Check out your closet and consider selling or donating any clothes that you don’t wear or that don’t fit anymore. Check out your shelves and in TV cabinets for books or kid’s games or knick-knacks that could also go into those piles. If your coffee table is covered in magazines and junk mail then take that stuff off and put it in your “toss” pile. Don’t worry about completely getting rid of all of your possessions! The “pile method” is just an easy way of categorizing a lot of small things at one time instead of just haphazardly deciding you don’t need certain things anymore and not knowing what to do next. When you feel that you’ve combed through a room enough you can take the “toss” pile to the trash and get the other two piles ready to either donate or sell. With your “sell” items I would consider purchasing some plastic containers to store the items in until you’ve finished your house and are ready to hold a yard sale. Yard sales are easy ways of selling stuff fast and whatever doesn’t sell you can consign or donate to businesses such as Habitat for Humanity. Use this method for each room in your house and you’ll end up with a less cluttered home. I would suggest giving each room a good cleaning after you take care of your piles too! Break out the vacuum and the Windex and make each room as neat as can be! Organizing your home has more benefits than making money off of old items and having clean rooms, it can also help you feel better about yourself and really make you feel accomplished. Starting and finishing any project will leave you feeling successful and ready to show off what you’ve done! Plus, by getting rid of old decor that doesn’t fit with your current style you can make room for new pieces that will freshen up your space and get you back to feeling good about your home rather than embarrassed by its mess. I hope you found this beginning method of decluttering helpful in getting started on big organizing projects! Now that I’ve decluttered for the Spring I am ready for some more updates to my home, stay tuned! -K
1 Comment
|
"A room should never allow the eye to settle in one place. It should smile at you and create fantasy" -Juan Montoya AuthorHi! My name is Kristen and in 2016 I got the crazy idea of starting a blog and diving headfirst into the world of interiors. I hope you enjoy the content you'll find on k.space and find inspiration to change your space and tackle all of your DIY projects- big or small! Archives
March 2019
Proudly Partners with
|