Simple Tips for Clutter Control

“Making the commitment to be organized in the first place is an absolutely necessary component to manifesting your deeper dreams and desires. Organizing, which was seen as a luxury in the past, is a requirement for survival in the modern world.” ~Lanna Nakone

According to organizational expert Peter Walsh, 200 million people in the Unites States alone live in cluttered homes! In my years of experience, I have seen the incredible toxic and overwhelming effects that clutter creates such as anxiety, guilt, depression, illness, food issues, relationship issues and health hazards – not to mention precious time searching for lost items and wasted money buying duplicate items.

Life is busy! Many of us are facing stressful and tough challenges today. Wouldn’t it be nice at the end of a long day to come home to a safe, nurturing sanctuary that has a beautiful rhythmic order to it? Are you ready to transform your cluttered, chaotic life into one of freedom, calm and peace of mind; allowing you to free up your time for fun, family and friends?

A Few Baby Steps to Get Started:

Mail – Create a mail center. Sort mail as soon as you get home and throw the junk away! A few minutes every day keeps the piles from growing (that goes for all office paperwork as well).

Trash – In 5 minutes, you can take a large trash bag and move from room to room recycling old newspapers, junk mail, coupons, etc.

Drawers – In 10 minutes (set a timer if needed), a drawer or a portion of a closet can be organized.

Closets – Coordinate clothes by item and color to locate a favorite outfit more quickly. When purchasing a new item, be sure donate something old. One in; one out! Joy Mangano Huggable Hangers double the closet space and are affordable (available at Costco, Bed, Bath & Beyond).

Baths / Bedrooms – Hang up as much as possible to keep clutter off the floors. Hooks and over-the-door hangers work well in closets and bathrooms.

Toys – Sort toys, crafts and similar items (ie: dolls, puzzles, musical items, legos, dress-up, crafts, cars, etc.) in plastic-labeled bins, drawers or baskets. Teach children to maintain order by allowing a few items out a time. Before new toys come out, the old ones should be put away.

Kitchen / Pantry – Categorize by item and expiration date with the newest purchases in back. Always throw away expired food items in the pantry, refrigerator and freezer.

Garage – Create zones (gardening, tools, party, memorabilia, holidays, etc.) Labeled, plastic, see-through, stackable containers work well to keep out rodents, water damage, etc.

Memorabilia – Memories live in our hearts. Keep what is truly special and discard the rest. Children’s art and schoolwork can be stored in large art folders. Or, take photos of children with their favorite stuffed animals, art, etc. and create a special photo album.

Remember, keep only what is beautiful, brings you joy and is useful. Let go of anything that makes you feel guilty when you look at it; regardless of the cost or if a family member gave it to you. Recycle, pay it forward or donate items to those who can really use it.

Simplifying our lives is key. Less is more. It’s time to honor and respect the beautiful people that we are. As we release the old energy, we open up and create the space for amazing new opportunities and possibilities!

Guest blogger, Jenny LeBel, has many years of experience in all areas of organization, teaching and event planning. She is a professional organizer and owner of Organizing Angels. Jenny also coordinates large speaking events for well-know authors such as Marianne Williamson, author of Return to Love. She is a founding member and board member emeritus for InSpirit Center for Spiritual Living – Orange County. The eldest of 10 children, mother of two and grandmother of five, Jenny is all about networking, sharing experiences and has a powerful intention to help transform seeming challenges into blessings in order to create sacred spaced and simplify life. Jenny lives in South Orange County, CA.