According to top psychiatrists, clutter and mess can feel incredibly overwhelming, add to stress levels and sometimes even go so far as increasing anxiety levels. For this, and the fact it looks nice, it’s best to keep the clutter and mess in your home to a minimum. This is obviously easier said than done but there are some amazing professional organisers out there to help you.
Commit part of your day to the task
You don’t have to plan a whole day around the stressful task of tidying, just give yourself 10 minutes to start on one simple task. If you keep this up for the week you’ll have done an hour and should start to notice a difference. If you’re not sure what will take you just 10 minutes, consider things like designating a space for incoming mail whether it’s a shiny new tray or an up-cycled box. Other ideas are clearing a shelf, picking up seven objects and finding them a home or even just sitting down and making a plan of how you want the room to look.
Load up the car
Pick up items around the home that are gathering dust from no longer being used or fulfilling their need. Stock up the car with them and then make the decision: will I miss these items and want them back in a few years? Or, will someone be better off with them. If you think you’ll want them back then your best option is to put them into storage. If you’re the latter and want to see the end of them, it’s time for a trip to the charity shop!
Occupy free wall space
Wall space isn’t just for pretty pictures and cupboards. Open shelving for plates, glasses, kitchenware and utensils is all the fashion now according to New York prop stylist Erin Swift. It looks stylish if you position natural coloured shelves against a dark background and you could even write in chalk on the wall behind where everything belongs.
Clear all the flat surfaces
Coffee tables, dining room tables and utility surfaces are huge culprits when it comes to clutter-magnets. Try to be minimalist and just keep a few things out if you must but it’s time to get rid of those ancient magazines, unopened post, trinkets and other bits of paper you haven’t got round to sorting out yet.
If the problem isn’t you
Are you living with a packrat who loves their clutter? If you’re envisioning space but your significant other or housemate isn’t, then it can get tricky. All you need to do is inspire them by first chatting to them about your plans for the house, then showing them how great it can be with a clear space and finally getting them involved by asking for help. Usually, if someone can see that it is having a positive effect on someone they care about, they will go along with it.
One Response
Great tips Em I am in need of a big old declutter here!