Who’s the "messy one" in your apartment? Now, be honest. How long have you been avoiding that chair in the corner, piled high with clothes since 2019? Schlepping to Ulta (yet again) because you’ve misplaced your no-frizz hair serum (yet again), knowing full well it’ll turn up tomorrow and you’ll now be the proud owner of three almost-full bottles of the same hair product?
While baking bread or committing to a skincare routine is all the rage during these pandemic times, you should consider first making a change in what's literally right around you. Now, more than ever, chaos in your space might drive you crazy. Trust us, making your home as calming and comforting as you possibly can will improve your mental health.
So, to stop being a slob the messy one and to add some much-needed organization to your life and home, start small. Here are six totally doable changes you can make now to tidy up your space for good.
Throw Stuff Out
You don’t need it anymore. You haven’t worn it in a year. It’s kind of broken. You have two of them. It was a gift, and you’ll feel bad if you don’t keep it safe in that dark corner of your closet forever. If any clothing item, beauty product or tchotchke of any sort falls into any of those categories — it's time to get rid of it. The less stuff you actually have, the less clutter there can be.
Put Similar Things in One Place
Things should go in ONE place. Instead of sometimes keeping your hairbrush in the bathroom drawer and sometimes on the bathroom shelf and every now and then on the bedroom dresser, just pick one of these and stick to it! If you leave your things wherever, you'll never cut all that clutter and confusion out of your life. 1) You'll forget where you decided to put them (this time), and 2) you'll take up more space with too many designated sections in your closet for leggings. Well, this shelf is for workout leggings, this shelf is for sleep leggings, but sometimes I wear these leggings to Pilates and then sleep in them, so now what? These aren’t life-changing decisions here, girl, decide and commit.
Color Coordinate Your Closet
This is part two in helping you combat the battle of indecisiveness of where things should go. Make it all even easier, and color coordinate your closet. First, sort by type of clothing: tanks, short sleeves, sweaters, pants, dresses. Then, within each clothing category, sort items by color. Every time you take out a shirt or put one back in, there’s an empty space just waiting to receive it and complete that rainbow gradient that is now your closet. A color-coordinated closet just appears neater overall. I’m the first to admit this one sounds a bit neurotic, but I swear it helps.
Do the Dishes
Do the dishes as soon as you're finished eating. Better yet, start washing them during your meal prep. When you’re a bit too full and feeling lethargic after your own personal all-you-can-eat Taco Tuesday, you won’t have to embark on a mission to scrub all the pots, pans, and utensils you used for cooking, you'll only need to tackle the set of silverware and plate you used for dinner.
Make the Bed
As. soon. as. you. wake. up. A tidily made bed makes a bedroom 10 times more inviting. Clutter in your eyes can be discouraging and anxiety-inducing, so if your room has a perfectly-made bed, you’re already winning. You’ll be more conscious of frantically spewing your clothes around like a tornado. Want else? Invest in some pretty pillows and a super soft match-y throw blanket. A gorgeous "bed-scape" instantly upgrades your room and will encourage you to want to keep it neat.
First Thing in the Morning, Last Thing at Night
Make decluttering a part of your morning and evening routine. While you're brushing your teeth or when you come in from walking Charlie at night, pick something up and put something away. Dedicate five minutes before you leave for work and five or ten minutes before you go to bed to simply putting sh*t away. Small wins help you manage the chaos and keep you from feeling overwhelmed, spiraling out of control, and avoiding that corner chair that's covered in clothes like it’s the plague.
Say goodbye to a lifetime of frantic hunts for that black shirt that goes perfectly with what you’re wearing but is nowhere to be found. Now, you'll know exactly where it is.
