5 simple tips for an organised life
Its proven that clutter is cluttering for the mind and I have been living my best clutter less life since I started showing the first symptoms of ODC and anxiety. If my bedroom was a mess then it reflected my mind, I would be a mess too. Having things lying around is like visual noise, each pile a reminder of all the stress and worry you are feeling. They are an overwhelming reminder of all the things you need to do.
Now, thankfully I am not as bad as I was, I no longer bleach every square inch of my living space or freak out into a complete panicked if objects are moved. I no longer keep the windows open all day long (even in winter) to kill all the germs in my house but I do rid my self of the unessential’s regularly. My mind is just so much clearer without mountains of clutter in my life.
I am no cleaning guru, in fact I have a lot of obsessive habits I wouldn’t want anyone picking up but I do get a lot of questions from friends and family how I keep my home clean and tidy without it looking like no one lives there. My home is warm, welcoming, a family home that is clear of all mess.
So here are my top tips on how I keep my home tidy without looking like a cold show home.
Declutter
Well, DUH! This is the task we don’t want to do but once we do, you will feel your shoulders drop and you will feel the benefits of removing all the junk that you don’t need. It can be really hard for someone who doesn’t like cleaning up and it can also be very overwhelming if you have become emotionally attached to something. I pump up my favourite music or podcast and take my time, I normally end up dancing or laughing away to whatever I put on.
Start small, do one room at a time. I find choosing the room that needs the less work is a good way of easing yourself in. Get stuck under all the furniture and pull out EVERYTHING that should not be there, toys, crumbs, last months fish fingers and I have sometimes found a delightful old bottle of milk that my darling son has hid behind the TV. (Thanks Cass)
I find its helpful to have different boxes for each room, so whatever needs to go back to another room can be carried through all together at the end. One for the kids’ room, one for kitchen etc etc and a big old rubbish bag for those rogue fish fingers. You can go though the boxes at the end and sort what need chuck (broken), donated or a place needs to be found.
Now the floor is clear, look around the surfaces and see if any of the clutter could find another home in the house or should it go. The way I do this is placing all ornament, pictures and nik naks on the sofa- give the surfaces a good dust and wipe. I then put back one item at a time starting with my favourite, I normally find I reach a point where the room doesn’t need any more and I donate the rest or box them to be put into storage.
It’s easy to get lost if you don’t have a home. Keeping your life organised means keeping your things in their proper places. Organised people keep order by storing things properly and by labelling storage spaces.
Make easy-to-access storage spaces for things you use all the time, and don’t let your storage spaces get cluttered. Be creative about finding places for things. Somethings a simple room rearrangement can also make a huge difference. Clutter is sadly not your friend and from my experience excess clutter at home contributes to high chaos living.
The Organised Mum Method
I have been following this cleaning routine for well over a year and it’s changed my life. I have also been lucky to connect with Gem who invented it and it’s created a harmonic balance of clean and family living. I love it – you can find out all you need about it HERE.
TOMM (The Organised Mum Method) is a realistic and fun way to keep on top of your home. If you want to have a home that looks great, have weekends that are free of housework AND still have time in the week to get on with the stuff that you actually enjoy, the organised mum method is for you
The One Minute rule
This is one of my favourite little tit-bits that I preach from the hills - If it takes less than a minute, JUST DO IT!
This is something I learned during CBT, you know the days where everything is just overwhelming or you are lacking any want of self care, this technique is amazing.
Think about it, didn't make your bed? It takes less than a minute to do so and you will feel so much better for doing it. Do just do it!
It might be debatable but I strongly believe that getting organised can really contribute to success and a better you. We lose so many precious minutes and energy on finding usual stuff everyday. However, if we just take a minute or two to put things at their right place, we can save much time and energy.
Another example, putting the bins out. I know its a pain in the ass and smelly but one minute of your time is nothing and the rubbish has be taken care of.
Simple really but so effective!
Write it down
All you need is a sheet of paper, a calendar and a white board. I’ve found that the easiest way to organise myself, my days and beyond is a good paper calendar (I use this one), a sheet of paper and a medium sized white board.
For my paper the top left section is my to do list for today. The top right section is my add to shopping list, or list of things I must purchase for the home. The bottom left is for notes such as emails and blogs I need to write, contacts to be made and appointment/play/class dates. The bottom right is whatever I need to move to another day. If I’m told to call back on Monday, then I note that on the calendar.
As for the white board, the family can make notes (Cora needs an early pick up on Monday or Gaga has called), and I can write down things as I think of them to be added to tomorrow’s to do list (its endless but needs doing, I am so forgetful).
My calendar, and the white board are in the same place on the fridge, so I can move any notes if need too. I cope my paper list on to my phone so I can have it with me everywhere, I can also update it through the day this way.
One in, one out.
Make a habit of throwing out, selling, or giving away something for every new thing you bring into the house. For example, when you buy a new pair of shoes, get rid of your least favourite. Variation: One in,TWO Out! Its tough but it will make a massive difference to the amount of "stuff" you have lying around.
Get that momentum going and then when you need to, take a break. No one wants to be cleaning up all the time and I hope with these 5 simple tips that you will get more time to yourself. I know I do.
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