Staying organized can be hard. It’s practically like you’re the tornado that ran through the place at times. Luckily for me, you, and people like us, organization is a skill that can be learned and practiced.
As stated by The Washington Post, research shows that “clearing clutter from the home and work environment resulted in a better ability to focus and process information, as well as increased productivity.”
Blah, blah, blah. Yes, being organized is super helpful and great. We hear this every day, all day, and it’s nothing we don’t know. Something we might not know is how disorganization harms us. That’s right, we’re flipping the script and looking through a new lens.
According to The Washington Post, “clutter can affect our anxiety levels, sleep, and ability to focus” so de-cluttering could be valuable if you’ve been struggling with these things. Clutter can also “make you less productive”.
So how do we stay organized? Well, according to The Washington Post, the first step is keeping a to-do list. Whether digital or physical, it should be on us at most times and updated often. The next thing we should do is tidy up daily. Whether or not you clean for five minutes or fifty it’s still important. Every little piece helps, and it’ll contribute to your space’s overall neatness.
Another important piece of staying organized is to be mindful when you shop. Impulse buys can haunt you for what could be years. Trust me– I have a pinky-sized Camilo Madrigal figure that watches over me while I sleep. His unrealistically high-raised eyebrow taunts me. Too many of these impulse buys will throw you into the gutter if you’re not careful. You will absolutely run out of space after a certain point. The less you have, the less there is to clean and sort. It’s better just to not buy it at all.
The last major point I want to hit on is identifying our priorities. If something is a source of stress for you, then it’s probably what you should deal with first. The most common reasons for struggling with being organized are not having the time, not knowing where to start, and thinking that it’s too difficult. Woe is me!
Well, even if organization doesn’t seem like an option for you, I have some good news. There are still ways to work around these blockages.
Hey, what can I say? If there’s a will, there’s a way.
If your issue is time, don’t worry. You don’t need to clean up for long periods of time to get yourself together. Similarly, if you don’t know where to start, every little bit you pick up helps. Over time, small efforts will cumulate into one big change.
Interestingly enough though, disorganization has been found to boost creativity. Disorganization also seems to affect whether or not we choose to be more venturesome– fun word, I know– in our everyday choices.
Overall, the list of pros seems to heavily outweigh the cons for “team organized.” Ultimately, it’ll be up to you to make any necessary changes, but I highly recommend at least attempting to get it together.
