Organise your home efficiently
A calm, clean space will help keep you stress-free at home, finds Kate Bartels.
Getting sorted in the home can seem like a never-ending task. Spending the weekend organising only to see a pile of new mess by mid-week can leave you feeling deflated.
Britta Reinecke, owner of The Urban Organiser, says the places people most struggle with are the shared areas. ‘‘Usually, when people live on their own they are fine. But once you add kids, a husband or wife and everyone does things differently, that’s when things can get messy,’’ she says. ‘‘Living room, kitchens, children’s play areas and home offices often need a lot more attention.’’
When it comes to children, added mess goes without saying. Reinecke suggests offering a point of view that benefits them.
‘‘Obviously, their priority is to get out and play and make as much mess as they can,’’ she says.
‘‘But if they can understand it means we have more family time because I don’t have to spend all my time cleaning up, it’s a really important conversation to have.’’
Angela Esnouf, owner of Creating Order from Chaos, says spaces in the home need to have a clear purpose. ‘‘When a space doesn’t have a clear purpose it quickly becomes disorganised, and there’s a snowball effect,’’ she says.
Esnouf and Reinecke agree that where people fall flat is the misconception that getting organised is a one-off when, in reality, it needs to be kept on top of to make sure it works long-term.
‘It’s a lifestyle change. You need to work on it,’’ says Reinecke. ‘‘Maintenance is the most important part of the whole organising process,’’ adds Esnouf. ‘‘That’s why time-consuming or complex systems don’t work for most people. Keep it simple and repeat, repeat, repeat.’’
Top tips for getting and staying organised
Step 1. Create a list of the spaces that need work. Start with the areas that give the most stress.
Step 2. Set aside enough time to get the jobs done. People often think things will be quick. Be generous with your time.
Step 3. Be prepared to let go of things. Decluttering is also about getting rid of what you no longer need.
Esnouf says paperwork is something that even the most organised people have trouble with.
Organising a home office
Step 1. Take everything out that doesn’t belong. Worry about where it goes later.
Step 2. Think about what you need on a frequent basis and plan to keep those handy, within arm’s reach. Store things you don’t need access to often, like archived tax records, in the least accessible corners of the room.
Step 3. Really think about what you need to keep. Text books from your accounting degree in 1987 are obsolete. They can go.
Step 4. When sorting through papers, keep it simple. Start with the most recent paperwork and create file names that are relevant to you and obvious to anyone who needs access to them. For instance, rather than labelling a file ‘‘Mike’s car’’ or ‘‘Car’’, be specific and use the registration number ‘‘ABC123’’.
Step 5. Create zones for all the things that are staying. Again, think about what you need at hand.
Step 6. Make it a room you’d like to spend time in. Ensure there’s good light, fresh air, no dust. If you don’t like being in the room, it will quickly become a dumping ground. – domain.com.au