Trying to get organized when you feel overwhelmed is an impossible feat. Soon, everything that you want to organize in your home or office becomes impossible to take on. Even though you really want to get organized, taking that on can cause the opposite effect. That is why learning how to organize when you’re overwhelmed can be helpful.
Organizing isn’t just good for having visitors over, it is also good for your mental health. An organized living space boosts your mood and overall health. When you feel better, life becomes less overwhelming. Suddenly, you feel like you can take on the world. And it all starts with some home organization.
The following guide will help you learn how to organize when you’re overwhelmed. Your first step is acknowledging your overwhelm. The next step is implementing the following ideas into your home organization process. Now, you’re on your way to stress-free organization.
7 Ways to Organize When You’re Overwhelmed
Use the following seven ideas to help you organize when you’re overwhelmed. Stress-free organization is a process to follow.
Set Realistic Goals
Think about what your goals are in your organization tasks. If you are looking for a cleaner look, want to tidy up for house guests, or you’re just sick of the same old clutter, you need to have a goal in mind. Start small. If you jump into tackling a large area of your home, you will quickly become even more overwhelmed.
Start with a small hall closet, the shoe collection area by the front door, or a kitchen counter. Once you have that space organized, make a plan to maintain that one area before moving on to another area. If you can keep one area organized, slowly adding other areas will feel less overwhelming.
Prioritize Your Needs
Consider what areas you need to have organized and why. What are your priority areas? If it’s your office space because you can’t get any work done with everything unorganized, then start there. Whatever your priorities are, make those part of your stress-free organization plan.
Use a Timer
Timers can help tremendously when you need to organize when you’re overwhelmed. If you can dedicate a specific amount of time to organizing, it typically helps you to stay focused and takes the pressure off for the time being. Set some music or listen to your favorite audiobook or podcast while you dedicate a few minutes here and there to meeting your home organization goals.
Delegate
When it feels too overwhelming to handle, start delegating tasks. If there are others living in the home with you, assign them tasks to complete to help you with stress-free organizing. However, if you don’t have others who live with you, consider hiring out for some tasks.
As a professional organizer, it is my job to help individuals create systems in their home and office spaces to create a clutter-free space without having to do the work by themselves. I have helped several people create stress-free homes that feel welcoming and inviting because the clutter has disappeared. Now, they can easily maintain the home themselves to stay on top of the clutter.
Make Room for Things You Love
Your home cannot stay organized if you keep bringing in more stuff that adds to the clutter. If you have pictures on shelves or decorative pieces on counters that can’t be seen because of the clutter, then you are welcoming the disorganization. Instead, give things you love a designated space in your home so that you can see them or enjoy them without the clutter around them.
In addition, this includes not purchasing frivolous trinkets that are going to sit and collect dust or take up unnecessary space. Instead of collecting and bringing more things into your home, collect experiences instead. Make memories, not clutter.
Don’t Overthink
The problem with feeling overwhelmed about organizing is that people tend to overthink the process. Before you can even get started, you don’t know where to start because you have all of the thoughts rolling around in your mind.
Don’t overthink it. Start with a simple process of listing your priorities and beginning in a small area. Organizing doesn’t have to be the stressful monster many people make it out to be.
Take a Deep Breath
Finally, the last thing you should do to organize when you’re overwhelmed is to take a breath. No good comes from being overwhelmed. If you need to take time to participate in some meditation or yoga beforehand to calm your mind, then that is the best thing you can do for yourself. You will feel refreshed and energized to tackle the tasks at hand.
When in doubt, do what you need to do in order to make organizing a fun process. Turn on some music, invite friends over to help, or make your favorite snack, and get started.
Home Organization Can Be Stress-free
As oxymoronic as it may sound, home organization can be stress-free. If you follow the ideas listed above, you can be on your way to having your home organized in no time at all. The key, however, is to get started. The longer you stall, the more work you will have to do in the long run.
Set goals, use timers, and make a plan so that your organizing process flows smoothly. When in doubt, hire a professional like me who can help you get to the clutter-free home you desire. All it takes is a free consultation to begin. You and your home deserve an organized space. Let’s make that happen together. Book your free call today.