If most of us are honest, there are ways in which we could improve the organization of our homes. After a busy couple of weeks since your last tidy-up, you may find yourself looking around and suddenly realizing that bit by bit, your home has become a cluttered paradise of paraphernalia once again.
Even if you don’t consciously realize it, a cluttered environment could be elevating your stress levels. An abundance of research has now delved into the psychological impacts of living in a messy space vs a tidy one. For example, people living amidst constant clutter have been found to have higher levels of cortisol (the “stress hormone”).
One study even found that 71% of people reported feeling “mess stress” on a weekly basis!
So, you want to declutter. Where to start?
Cable management
Your home is full of appliances. The thing about appliances is that they often present the problem of trailing wires, which are neither the safest nor the most appealing thing to look at.
This could be rectified by dedicating a day to improving the cable management of your home. Are there ways to hide cables from appliances that are operating on a semi-permanent basis, such as stowing them away behind cupboards or under carpets?
A cable tidy can also be a very useful way to bunch cables together and ensure they are less of a nuisance in the home.
Be sure that you have the correct power cords for each appliance before you get started, of course!
Storage solutions
If you find yourself picking up bits and bobs that don’t have any clear “home” within your home, this could be a sign you need to get cannier about your storage.
Assess your shelves and cupboards to see what kind of space you have available to play with. If you need to purchase some extra storage space for these items, small baskets are readily available and can be a nice decorative touch as well as a tidy solution.
Create a routine
There are many ways to declutter a home. You can probably think of many more than the ones listed, but don’t forget that this isn’t much good if it isn’t built into a steady habit.
One of the most reliable ways to make tidiness a part of your routine is to clear things away as soon as you don’t need them to be out on the surfaces anymore.
Alternatively, using just 5-10 minutes of your spare time each day (eg: while your evening meal is in the oven) to tidy up can stop the home becoming a mess again.
New habits are formed if you keep at something for long enough for the action to become something you subconsciously remember to perform. Aided by a reward factor, such as feeling relieved and calm, a healthy new habit can be formed.
We hope we’ve inspired you to declutter! Do you have any other tips to share with us?