Overwhelmed! How do I start to organize?

Overwhelmed! How do I start to organize?Do you ever walk into a room that has clutter and feel overwhelmed?

Do you feel stressed and want to tidy up the clutter but do not know where to start?

I hear this often from my clients. They don’t know where to start so they walk back out of the room and then nothing get’s done. Or they start to tackle an area but they don’t finish it.

I am going to answer some common organizing questions so that you can get started and get organized!

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1. Which room do I start with?

Sit down and really think about what room of your home you would like to get organized first. If you only have one room to be organized, then great. If you have several rooms that need organizing, then just pick one. For some people it may be their kitchen so it is easy to make meals and sit down to dinner, for others it may be their office so they can be more productive.

2. How do I get ready to organize?

Have a garbage bag, recycle bins, donation bags, shredding box etc. ready and in the room you are organizing. Have everything ready so you rarely have to leave the room

3. Where do I start?

You start by just digging right in and tackling a small area. Yes,start small. A drawer, a cupboard, a corner, a counter etc. I tend to start on my left and work around the room. That way you can see progress rather quickly and you are not bouncing from one area of the room to another.

4. Ok, I am ready but how do I organize?

Dig right in! You start picking up your items and decide if you want to keep, donate, give to family members, recycle, shred or sell your item. Put all your keep, sell, and give to family or friends items in their own piles. (Keep in mind that giving items to family or friends doesn’t always work because sometimes they do not want your stuff). Put garbage, recycle, and shred items in their bags or boxes. Categorize your keep items, by putting like items together, and organize them in a way that it will be easy for you to find them. Using organizing products can be very helpful as well when getting organized. Ex. containers, file folders, labels etc.

5. I am finding stuff that belongs in another room, do I take them to the rooms they belong to?

No, the goal is to stay in the room and finish the tasks on hand. Instead put the items in a pile outside the room, and later bring them to the proper rooms.

6. Do I keep going until I finish the room, or do I take breaks and finish it later?

You can absolutely take breaks so that you don’t get too tired. For example, you can grab a quick snack or a coffee/tea, but I would strongly suggest that you set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes, and when the timer goes off, you go back to the room you were organizing. That is the trick, you must go back and continue what you were doing. If there is a lot to organize you do not have to finish it in one day. However, I would suggest that you come back a day or two later and continue on. I don’t suggest you tackling another room until this room is finished.

If you follow these tips you will get organized, and don’t forget to give yourself credit for all the hard work you are doing. Enjoy your successes! You deserve it!

If you don’t have time to organize, or need extra help, please reach out to us. We would love to help you get organized. We provide hands on organizing as well as virtual organizing for those who do not live in our area.

Happy Organizing,
Kathy
xxxooo

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