Summer vacations are behind us, the kids are going back to school and it’s time to get back to a normal(ish) schedule. It’s also a great time to get your house and your life organized, especially with fall and the holidays just around the corner!
Being organized not only makes our day-to-day lives easier, but there are real health benefits to being organized. Organization can help reduce stress, depression and anxiety. It helps us make better food choices and stick to an exercise routine. It’s been proven to improve sleep. And probably the most important one – when we are organized, we can focus on things other than cleaning and searching for things. It helps us free up time and energy to do the fun things we actually want to do and spend quality time with family and friends. Clearing away the clutter lets us have more time for ourselves and ultimately, helps us live a more balanced life.
Here are some of our favorite ideas for getting yourself organized:
Declutter Your Workspace
Some people claim that a messy desk can spark creativity, but studies show that clutter is distracting and can affect your ability to focus. A clean desk can actually boost your productivity! Start by purging the space and analyze what you need to keep or toss. Throw away duplicate papers or information that is outdated. File important documents. (If you don’t have one - set up a filing system with clear labelling.) And don’t forget your computer – go ahead and clean that up too! Delete files, folders, pictures or software that you don’t need or use.
Make Your Bedroom A Sanctuary
Keeping your bedroom neat and clean leads to better sleep. Make your bed every morning. (Fun Fact: According to the National Sleep Foundation, people who make their bed every day are 19% more likely to report a good night’s sleep and 75% said they got a better night’s sleep on fresh sheets.) Avoid clutter in the bedroom – visual clutter can generate stress and can leave you feeling too anxious to sleep. Spend a few minutes each day picking up clutter in the bedroom so that it doesn’t build up. And try not to bring your work to bed with you – no more emails in bed! These things will help you decrease stress and increase restful sleep.
Store Like Things with Like Things
Do you have clothes in multiple closets, your cosmetics spread across all your bathrooms and household items (i.e. candles, cleaning supplies) stored in every closet in your house? Try keeping like items with like items. That way, you are not forgetting about what you do have and buying more. It also makes it easier to see what you do have so you can weed out what you have too much of. And finally – you’ll find yourself less stressed looking for things because what you are looking for should be in that single, go-to location.
Do A Little Everyday
You know how you start cleaning out a closet and at first, you’re very clear on what stays and what goes but as you go on, less and less is getting put in the donate pile? Getting rid of things can be hard. But by committing to 15 to 20 minutes a day, focusing on one area at a time, we are able evaluate items objectively and not become overwhelmed. When going through things, ask yourself is this something that I use regularly, is this important to me or is it time to let it go. Do a little every day and see how quickly your home and your life start to get organized!
Organize Your Health Routine Too!
This includes the fridge, the pantry, and your supplements. Be sure to check expiration dates. This will typically show on a supplement bottle as "EXP". If you see "MFG", this is the date the product was manufactured and you typically have 2 years from that date before it should be tossed.
In the fridge, keep your organic, fresh produce front and center so you're more likely to make good snack choices. Set aside 30 minutes of "prep" time each week to wash and chop veggies. Keep them in stay fresh containers so you always have easy ingredients on hand.
Cheers to good health and good choices!