{"id":41606,"date":"2016-06-15T10:46:22","date_gmt":"2016-06-15T18:46:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=41606"},"modified":"2017-05-27T08:49:35","modified_gmt":"2017-05-27T16:49:35","slug":"4-decluttering-hacks-how-and-why-to-get-organized","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/4-decluttering-hacks-how-and-why-to-get-organized\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Decluttering Hacks: How and Why to Get Organized"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Getting yourself into an organized lifestyle is not as easy at the morning show hosts would make it seem. After an eclectic run at grad school which featured a half put-together dresser and experiments in paper flooring, I\u2019ve at least learned that much. Looking back on those years, I\u2019ve come to realize that my problem was as much a motivational one as it was a practical one. I simply wasn\u2019t aware of how crucial it was to my health to get organized and, in my brief moments of clarity, I genuinely wasn\u2019t sure where I could possibly begin.<\/span><\/p>\n

If this sounds like you, then check out my analysis of the science behind organization and some tips of my own to get you off the ground.<\/span><\/p>\n

Health and Organization<\/span><\/h2>\n

The psychology here is pretty clear: <\/span>getting organized is good for you<\/span><\/a>. When you\u2019re organized you\u2019re more easily able to identify where the balance in your life lies and, with less clutter, there\u2019s less in the way of stopping you from achieving that balance yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just the fruit of your labour that\u2019s good for you here. Cleaning things up is itself good for you. Indeed, some therapists use <\/span>decluttering in their therapy<\/span><\/a> to help patients copes with their organization and other issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no two ways about it, then. Getting organized is good for you, but it\u2019s not always clear how to be healthy. I\u2019ll tell you how below!<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Don\u2019t Just Tackle Little Projects<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are a lot of arenas in which it\u2019s a good idea to divide and conquer, satisfying yourself with completing a few small tasks as frequently or infrequently as you\u2019d like, finally fitting everything together into a completed project long after you started.<\/span><\/p>\n

Decluttering is not one of these battlegrounds. Unlike other projects, decluttering your life is something that will get undone by waiting around. The good news is that the more organized you become, the less junk will creep up on you over time.<\/span><\/p>\n

So you need to make a big push to hit your clutter, instead of just moving on thing at a time. Some ways to do this include: scheduling a cleaning party. You can\u2019t clean everything in your house in one day, but a you and your friends can. Try trading decluttering favours and promising food afterwards. Doing a regular <\/span>spring cleaning<\/span><\/a> is also great idea.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Start Big<\/span><\/h2>\n

First things first, try to get rid of larger pieces of clutter. You can make a huge impact on your clutter by getting rid of old appliances or other big items that have stayed past their due. This gives you a morale boost and gives you more space to work with while you figure out the remainder.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just be careful moving heavy appliances like old washers or refrigerators. These can contain harmful chemicals with greenhouse gasses that can be released if handled improperly, not to mention the backbreaking work of getting this stuff out the door. Don\u2019t be afraid to <\/span>get some help<\/span><\/a> if you\u2019ve got this kind of clutter.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Stay Organized<\/span><\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t let all your hard work be for not. Find ways to preserve your efforts and stay organized. The fact of the matter is that it usually doesn\u2019t take long for clutter to find its way back into your home. Either because we\u2019re always bringing in new things or our haphazard piles of ex-clutter start to unwind.<\/span><\/p>\n

To attack the first fork of de-organizing, think about <\/span>frugal living<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s amazing how much you can do without once you start to really think about what you need. For the second fork, consider how you can store your things in more efficient ways. Often times clutter starts to form when you store a bunch of stuff contrary to the way that you\u2019re going to use it. For instance, throwing a bunch of books that you reference often on a bookshelf far from your desk. One great tip here is to get a set of small lockers and use them to store things. They\u2019ll help out a lot when it comes to keeping stuff of the floor and you\u2019ll find that with several separate compartments you\u2019ll be able to split things up in terms of function. In the spirit of frugal living, you can find <\/span>discounted lockers<\/span><\/a> that schools aren\u2019t buying up.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Be Mindful<\/span><\/h2>\n

Whatever you do to get organized, do it mindfully and with respect for the environment. All too often it\u2019s popular to \u201cget organized\u201d by taking a garbage bag around the house and tossing everything that may or may not be junk inside. Ta-da! Everything\u2019s clean.<\/span><\/p>\n

Or not.<\/span><\/p>\n

When you do this you\u2019re not only running the risk of discarding dangerous items improperly (like appliances with those GHGs that we talked about earlier). Perhaps even worse, when you treat your junk like junk you can deprive people in need. They say that one declutterer\u2019s junk is another\u2019s treasure and that couldn\u2019t be more true. Find ways of donating the things you don\u2019t need anymore and <\/span>do good when you declutter<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

These are some of my tips for following the science and getting healthy through organization. Let me know how your decluttering projects went in the comments!<\/span><\/p>\n

————————–<\/p>\n

Nick is a violist and writer from Boise, Idaho. When he’s not writing he likes to find new ways to organize his viola practice and ride his bike in the beautiful Boise foothills. You can find Nick on Twitter @cesare_nick<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Check out the science behind getting organized and how to declutter your life and improve your health with these four simple hacks. 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