Some people perceive feng shui as a woo woo philosophy. However, there is certainly something to be said about the design, shape and organization of a room having an effect on the person’s experience of the space. Few people can deny that it feels wonderful to have an organized house. Psychologists say that outer order brings inner calm, and since we spend a significant portion of time in our homes, it would make sense that we would want them to be organized. With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s easy for a home to quickly get cluttered and disorganized. The good news is by doing just a little bit every day.
Declutter: This should always be step one when organizing your home. Before you can begin organization, you need to purge unnecessary items, which are items that are no longer used or loved. This is a challenge for most people, but it feels so good to declutter even the tiniest of spaces. Start with a small area at a time so as to not get overwhelmed. Once you realize how good it feels to declutter, you’ll be excited to move on to the next space.
Identify storage space: Literally walk around your home with a clipboard or notepad and identify all of the storage areas or spaces in each room and assess what you currently have stored in those areas. Most people think they need more storage when in reality, they simply need to re-organize the storage they already have. Look inside each storage space and notice if you are using the cabinet, closet, bin, pantry or nook in the most efficient way possible.
Assign storage space: Figure out what items will go into each storage space and let everyone in the family know. Doing this will create a place for everything and when you’re trying to declutter in the future, it won’t be as daunting of a task because each item in your home should have its own place to live. This place should make sense for each item. For instance, it would make sense for office and school supplies to live in a home office or near where kids do their homework. Kitchen items should obviously go in the kitchen. Board games should be stored in the room where board games are played, and so on and so forth.
One touch and never leave a room empty-handed: The “one touch” method means you only touch an item once. When you bring groceries into the house, immediately put them away. When you arrive in a coat, don’t sling the coat on the bag of a chair, hang it in the closet. Each time you leave a room, look around and see if there are any items that belong in a different room or space. If so, take that item immediately out of the existing room and put it where it’s supposed to go.
No one ever feels like organizing, decluttering, utilizing storage space and straightening up is a waste of time. To create the home of your dreams, ensure the only items you have are ones that are used or loved, and be sure each item has its own space. Like most things, this is easier said than done, but once it become a habit, it will simply be another part of your daily routine.
