Shoes, toys and things everywhere that nobody actually needs … Chaos can cause stress and is much more likely to lead to procrastination – this has also been scientifically proven. Tidiness coach Claudia Melbinger shows simple strategies and explains how you can use practical routines to create lasting order in your home.
It starts with the realization that we don’t need much of what we own – and rarely if ever use it. “The cause of clutter in our households these days is often the abundance we live in,” says organization expert Claudia Melbinger. She gives valuable tips on how to declutter and tidy up your home most effectively.
What does a tidy home do to our well-being?
When we come home after a long day at work and stumble over a pile of shoes in the hallway or get up in the morning and start the day in a messy kitchen – it’s stressful and we find it harder to switch off. Conversely, a tidy environment helps us to be calmer and more relaxed. A well-organized environment also saves time, because we don’t have to search and rummage for items, and sometimes also money, because we learn to question whether a new purchase is really necessary. However, this is only possible if we have an overview of our possessions and know where to find them.
What is the best way to create order in the house or apartment?
The very first step is always sorting out. The cause of clutter in our households today is often the abundance in which we live. Lasting order can only be achieved if we reduce our possessions to what we need. a) really need or b) gives us honest pleasure. Depending on the type of person, it can make sense to start where the chaos and suffering is greatest, for example in the closet, but also in the cellar or attic. Once you have mastered this chunk, the following projects will be much easier. However, you can also start with the area that is easiest for you. This can also be a sub-area, e.g. just one compartment or drawer within the closet. Small, quick successes also motivate you to keep going.
How can I learn to get rid of unnecessary possessions more easily?
As a rule, we humans are unable to let go because we are either stuck in the past (“I wore that dress when I got engaged.”) or are already thinking about the future (“I might need that waffle iron again sometime.”) Either way, these thoughts block us in the present and make it so difficult for us to let go. When we hold on to the past, it can be useful to realize that the object (in my example, the dress) is not inseparable from the event and that the memory remains, even if we part with the dress. If we can’t part with something because we might need it again in the future, it can help to think about what could happen in the worst-case scenario if we give it away and need it again. We can usually borrow items or buy them second-hand. If you get involved in letting go, you quickly realize that it can be quite liberating to part with things.
Which rooms are the biggest challenge for most people?
Our storerooms, cellars and attics are the rooms of deferred decisions. Most of the things in these rooms end up there because we can’t decide what to do with them or we can’t part with them.
How can you learn to create lasting and sustainable order?
Step one is to reduce. Step two is the creation of fixed places. Each item is given a fixed place. The assigned spaces can also be labeled – this helps us to actually only put these items there. Small routines can also help to actually maintain order. This could be the “one-minute rule” or the “no empty hands rule”. The former is about getting everything that can be returned to its intended place in under a minute done immediately. The second rule is that you should never go home empty-handed. A quick trip to the bathroom to touch up your lipstick? Take the hairbrush and perfume that are still lying around in the anteroom …
What is your ultimate tip for keeping your home tidy?
Find your why, i.e. the reason why you want a tidier home. Is it so that you can receive spontaneous visitors again – and they don’t have to complete an obstacle course on the way to the sofa? Because you want to come home to a tidy apartment after a long day at work? Visualize your wish: What will your apartment look like? How does that make you feel? With every down you put yourself in this feeling. It will give you the drive to keep going.
What tricks and tools do you use to create order?
I love using organizers such as boxes, dividers or turntables. This means that existing storage space can be optimally utilized and even compartments that are difficult to reach can be easily sorted.
How tidy is your home? And in which of your rooms is there room for improvement?
This varies greatly. Depending on whether the children are at home or not 😉 But it’s definitely not always tidy here either. You have to be realistic, especially with children. However, a well-organized home definitely helps us to quickly restore basic order. Our cellar could definitely do with a makeover at the moment. Things have gotten mixed up. But I’ll save that for the hot season, when I’ll be enjoying the cool temperatures underground.
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