Looking for ways to feel more relaxed and at ease in your own space? Follow these simple steps for a clear and clutter-free home where you can feel stress-free and more at home in your own space.
1. Stick To the Basics in the Kitchen
Do you really need another waffle iron? I have a FB friend who posted a picture of all 6 of theirs! 6!
It may be the latest-and-greatest but that does not mean that it needs to take up residency in your home.
In my home we have the 1-in-and-1-out rule where if we are going to buy something that is similar to what we already have, then something must go in its place. It helps to keep things easy to manage and stress-free.
2. Install an organization station near your entryway
We installed a backpack station/mudroom right next to the garage door to allow for a space for us to store the things we use on a daily basis but to also keeps it off the counters and floors.
As a bonus, it makes mornings easy to manage because everything we need to get out the door in the morning is handy and in one place. Minus the kids arguing. HA!
Here is a GREAT DIY from a fab duo over at Casa De Lewis.
Their before and after.
Image source Casa De Lewis
3. 15 Minute Daily Clutter Control
Dedicate 15 minutes nightly to tidy-ing up before bed to make morning less stressful and more enjoyable.
Wipe down counters, pick up toys, straighten pillows, sofa cushions and load and start the dishwasher. (Ooh my gosh, I just sounded like my mother, and my sister is plagued with this rule too).
Trust me, you’ll thank me in the morning. :)
4. Put Things Back in Their Place
I’ve heard this also referred to as “The One-Touch Rule”. I get it, this is how it play’s out..
You have something in hand
You set it down for a second
You get distracted by something or someone
You forget ‘said’ something until much, much later
Your kids or other family members do the same and then next thing you know, you have a room full of misc “stuff” and you wondering “where in the heck did all of this come from?”
If this is a common problem, you might want to consider keeping a small basket in each room so that at the end of the day you can make sure that things are returned to their rightful home.
Better yet – find a way to help everyone get in the habit of returning items once they’re finished.
I searched Pinterest for DIY Baskets and the results were endless.
5. Email
This is a BIG one especially if you have multiple email addresses that you manage for work, home, family, etc.
As a general rule NEVER open an email until you have the time to respond. Answering emails from your phone can be tricky because the keyboard and size are smaller and harder to write longer messages. Plus, autocorrect neverspells the words you want it to spell and having the wrong word or spelling go out can make you look unprofessional – even with “excuse my typos…” signature from your phone.
Create a system or routine to manage your daily messages and work to de-clutter your inbox by unsubscribing to unnecessary messages. A tool I love to use is Unroll.me.
Unroll.me allows you to get rid of the junk mail and streamline the things you do want to see by combining all of your favorite subscriptions into one email and allows you to quickly unsubscribe from those that you don’t want or need. It’s truly a lifesaver!
So there you have it, 5 Simple yet effective tips to de-clutter your life and reduce stress. Tell me in the comments below, what is one tip that you are going to put into action today?