Do you often struggle to find your keys, wallet, remote controls or driver’s license? These are symptoms of #clutter and #disorganization, says the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals, that cost the average American 8,700 hours of time — a full year of their lives. National Get Organized Day on Friday, April 26 presents the perfect opportunity to reclaim that time and the physical and psychological benefits that that come with living and working in #clean, #organized spaces. Think of the time you’ll save when you no longer have to dig through the #clutter to help you find whatever item you need! #NationalGetOrganizedDay
Tag: organize
Leap Into Spring Cleaning
It’s difficult for busy people to find the time to tackle their many #organizing and #cleaning tasks, The Kitchn says. The good news? Every Leap Year offers a full extra day to #declutter, #organize and #clean the trouble spots in your home. Take advantage of that extra 24 hours to organize a kitchen cabinet, pantry or countertop; #purge and #donate the cookbooks you don’t use; or go on a full #decluttering “spree” with a #donation bag or box a the ready. It’s also a great time to wipe down and #sanitize things that escape routine cleaning, such as windows, ceiling fans, ovens, baseboards and picture frames. #SpringCleaning #LeapDay
Organize and Store Your Holiday Decorations
#Holiday decorations are the first things you’ll want to sort and store when the calendar flips to the new year, says Organized Interiors. #Declutter any decorations that didn’t get used, tossing the broken and compromised ones and #donating those you just don’t like. And while you might feel sentimental about the holiday cards you received this year, there’s no reason to save them beyond the end of January. Take note of any updated address information on your phone or in a computer file and take a picture of the card if you want to preserve a particular memory. The rest can go into the recycling bin. #OrganizedNewYear
Organize So That Everything Has Its Space
Think creatively to keep your home #organized in the new year, Good Housekeeping says. It offers 100 ways to sort out the #stuff in your small spaces such as #drawers and #closets in order to help you store everything more reliably. Use bins to compartmentalize and #organize drawers, install hooks and shelves to take advantage of vertical space, and designate a “drop zone” where everything can be sorted out as it enters the home. When your stuff has a place to be, it’s less likely to get scattered where it doesn’t belong and create #clutter — and you’ll be able to find whatever it is easily when you need it. #OrganizedNewYear
Daylight Time Is Spring Cleaning Time
Daylight savings time — still observed in most states nationwide — begins again at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 5. The practice is rapidly declining in popularity, but most readers will temporarily lose an hour to the switch nonetheless.
The transition is increasingly associated with sleep deprivation and upticks in other dangers such car accidents, heart attacks and strokes. Daylight time apparently produces a mini-jet lag that can have subtle but marked consequence on the body and mind.
To reduce daylight time’s initial health impacts, Northwestern Medicine suggests adjusting one’s circadian rhythms by getting more natural morning light, exercising and going to bed an hour early in the week leading up to the change.
Even if you approach DST with little or no personal preparation, there are things you can do around the house to take advantage of the seasonal shift, Apartment Therapy says, and prepare for the longer nights of spring and summer.
First, of course, you’ll want to reset every clock. Then, take care of some of the seasonal chores that make your home safe and comfortable: Change the smoke detector batteries, reverse the ceiling fans to counterclockwise, and rotate or flip your mattresses and couch cushions.
This is also a great time to #sort and #declutter winter clothing. Chances are that those heavy coats and woolen sweaters are already falling into disuse, so make sure all of them are cleaned and stored, eliminating and #donating any that just didn’t make it into the rotation to ClothingDonations.org.
Outdoors, you’ll have an extra hour of light in the evening to #clean the gutters, #organize the garage, powerwash the deck or prepare your garden for #spring planting. Just be careful going up that ladder as your body slowly adjusts to the new time.
The mental health benefits of making your home #clean, #organized and #clutter-free are well-documented — and they may even outweigh the negative effects of losing an hour of sleep and adjusting to the change in light.
Until a proposal to make daylight time permanent becomes law, we’re stuck with it. So make the most of it by using it as a reminder to do the seasonal tasks you’ve been meaning to do. Time’s a-wastin’!