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Organise something at home

Cleaning and organising are strongly associated with decreasing stress and anxiety. Often a cluttered or messy area can be seen as “unfinished business,” whether consciously or unconsciously, and this can add unnecessary stress.

Woman sitting on the floor tidying and looking happy

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How does it help?

Research has found that cleaning and organising can have a number of positive effects on your mental health. For instance, it helps you gain a sense of control over your environment and engage your mind in a repetitive activity that can have a calming effect. It also has been found to improve a person's mood as well as provide a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

1. Better Ability to Focus

  • Every day is full of distractions, everywhere you look there’s something trying to pull your attention. Many people feel like they struggle to stay focused on one task throughout the day.
  • When you have a regular schedule for handling home tasks and you don’t have the lingering distractions, you’ll see a great improvement in your ability to focus. Instead of constantly thinking about everything you need to get to, you can pay more attention to the task at hand and be in the moment.

2. Reduces Stress and Overwhelm

  • Stress is a major contributor to poor mental and physical health. It has a way of creeping into every aspect of your life and taking over if not kept under control.
  • Keeping things clean and organised brings more calm and peace to your space and, therefore, your life. In this kind of environment, it’s easier to think logically and keep things in perspective rather than getting worked up.

3. Lighter Feeling

  • As you work to clean and organise your environment, you’ll begin to notice how much lighter everything feels. Without piles and clutter, your space will feel open, bright, and airy.
  • Clutter tends to leave a heavy feeling. It weighs you down both physically and emotionally, there’s always the nagging feeling of needing to go through your things and get everything under control. There’s no feeling better than clearing out a room and getting rid of things you don’t use, need, or love. You could even donate some belongings to charity!

4. Helps Save Money

  • A huge problem with having a lot of clutter is that you can’t find what you’re looking for when you need it, which often leads to buying the same thing over again.
  • People with excess clutter often spend way too much money on things they already have. So cleaning things out and organising your home helps you keep track of what you have and what you need.

5. Improve Sleep

  • One of the biggest contributing factors to overall well-being and a healthy life is sleep. The amount and the quality you get can majorly impact how well your body functions and fights off illnesses.
  • Many people find that they are able to get much better sleep after they get organised and clean.
  • It’s much easier to relax enough to get a good night’s rest when your space is clean and clear. There won’t be reminders of things that need to be done or the feeling of overwhelm that often accompanies too much stuff. Instead, your mind can be clear and peaceful allowing you to drift off nicely.
  • When your space is under control, you can give yourself more permission to relax.

6. Good Workout

  • Deep cleaning an entire house is an incredible workout, which is always beneficial for the body. Even if you’re just doing a routine cleaning you can work some of your muscles.
  • While cleaning isn’t likely going to become your regular workout routine, it’s a good excuse to get some extra steps in throughout the day!

How do I do it?

Start Small

Most people put off cleaning and organising because the task seems way too big to tackle. Start small and do just a little bit each day and before you know it, your environment will be much cleaner and less stressful in no time. For instance, pick one thing you want to do each day and then follow through. The key is that you don't make your to-do list bigger than what you can mentally handle or you will just increase your stress rather than reduce it.

Set a Timer

Another option for getting a cleaning/organising routine started is to set a timer and see how much cleaning/orgasing you can get done in that time period. Or, you can use the time blocking method for scheduling to manage your cleaning. For example, set aside 15, 20, or even 30 minutes to clean/organise. Start by picking up things that are lying on the floor and put them away. When the timer goes off, you are done for the day. This will help you create a more peaceful environment that will help you sleep better that night when you focus on cleaning/organising your bedroom.

Even though setting a time for a few minutes may not seem like much time, you can accomplish a lot more than you might imagine. Plus, you aren't overwhelming yourself by thinking that you have to devote three hours of your Saturday to cleaning. You get what you can done and then you move on to something else.

10 items to organise at home

  1. Make sure your games console discs are in the right box, put them in alphabetical order
  2. Check that all your pens work, throw away the ones that don’t
  3. Pair up your socks
  4. Have you got a ‘messy drawer?’, de-clutter this space and organise the best you can
  5. Put your clothes away
  6. Organise your wardrobe (sleeve order, colours, seasons)
  7. Put the hoover round
  8. Wipe the surfaces
  9. Clean out your school bag
  10. Make your bed