Isabelle de Grandpre
I read an article that outlined how clutter can add substantially to your day-to-day stress levels.
I’ve always known that, but I didn’t know an About.com survey had found one-third of respondents admitted they avoided spending time at home so they didn’t have to deal with their mess, nor that Americans spend nine million hours every day looking for things they cannot find.
Can you imagine wasting so much time on stuff? I can’t, and it isn’t because I am a Neat Freak. It’s because I don’t want to give stuff more attention than it is due. I’d rather be enjoying my garden or spending time with special people.
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That is why my business focuses on how you can organise your space easily so you can get on with living.
Here are quick organising tips for things we use or keep that needn’t cause you any more stress
Old magazines and photographs: Magazines can pile up quickly so try to cut out what you want, if you’re keeping them for referencing purposes, and categorise them into files or keep whole magazines categorised into individual magazine baskets.
Scanning the articles is also an option as this takes no physical space but you will still have access to them. The same can be done with photographs. However, storage could be in small cardboard boxes with see-through lids or in individual plastic containers per event, year or person.
Sensitive paper statements: Archiving your paperwork should be done once a year and properly stored either in portable filing cases or well-labelled archive boxes. For paperwork that is no longer required, mobile shredding companies can collect it from your home or office to be properly destroyed. If you aren’t keen to spend money on getting documents shredded you can place them into a large bucket of water which will spread the ink and make them easy to tear.
Old machines: Many people hold on to old equipment because they do not know what to do with it, and that really isn’t a good enough excuse. These days you can throw away e-waste at recycling points within your municipality, or there are companies you can contact to collect items for recycling.
If you cannot find one in your area, load photos of the items on social media platforms or classified sites advertising that the item can be collected for free. There are individuals and companies who may want old equipment for parts and will gladly take them off your hands.
Clothes and shoes: If your cupboard is bulging at the hinges and begging you for a reprieve, it is probably time to sort through it. Be ruthless and throw out the shoes with the peep holes and the clothes that fitted you two diets ago. Cupboard purging should be done twice a year at least.
My favourite trick is to put bright stickers onto my items of clothing which I take off when I wear the item. If after six months the sticker is still on, you know you really aren’t using the item. Storage of large coats and seasonal clothing can be vacuum packed to make space in your cupboard.
Donating items: With the expansion of online classified platforms many people are trying to sell items online for extra money. However I have been told by many charities that they are now desperate for old clothing and household goods to sell in charity shops to raise funds. My advice is to pay it forward. Find out about your local charities and rather donate what you can.
Old letters and memorabilia: I have kept old letters and memorabilia in a cardboard box for years and occasionally I go through the box and find something to throw out that no longer holds meaning for me.
Any fabric I keep (like my childrens’ baby clothes) is wrapped in tissue paper and stored in large plastic containers with mothballs. If you do not store and organise your memorabilia properly it will perish so invest the time and money to do this in the right way. I could go on and on about every aspect of your life that can easily (and effectively) be organised.
However, if the desire to continue to have your life ruled by stuff outweighs the effort it will take to organise it, then I have one question for you: “How does your stuff add value to your life?”