Straighten Up!

There is something many of us have lurking in our homes, cars and offices that we’ve probably gotten so used to we barely even notice it anymore. However, research shows this thing can have the following undesirable impacts on us:

Negative mood & self-esteem
Lower levels of happiness
Lower levels of creativity
Decreased productivity
Difficulty relaxing
Poor sleep
Higher levels of dust & mold – hence increased allergies or asthma
Feelings of anxiety & guilt

Any ideas what I’m talking about? It’s CLUTTER – and it can creep and spread everywhere! The good news is that it’s totally preventable but it does require having some systems in place and some ongoing vigilance on our parts.

I’m extremely anti-clutter and I was married to a pack rat for 28 years; so I had to learn to pick and choose my battles. Once my husband passed away (sad) I was thrilled to be able to start sorting and getting rid of things (happy). Let me give you some quick pointers.

If you feel overwhelmed and panicky at the thought of going through your stuff try a professional organizer. Yes, you’ll have to pay something but it may be worth it to get things neat & tidy.
Don’t try and do your whole house at once – start small and work from there. Try something like a few drawers or a small closet first.
Pull everything out so you can see it and make 3 piles:
Keep
Trash
Give away or garage sale
Once your piles are sorted haul off the trash so it’s out of your house. Bag or box up the give-away/garage sale pile. If you’re giving things away schedule a time to drop things off or call and have them come get your items. Many charitable organizations will do this.

Put items in the keep pile neatly away. You’ll probably find that every time you walk by you’ll pull open the drawers or closet doors to peer inside. Be sure and pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Enjoy that organized, de-cluttered feeling and keep going – you can do it!