I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the many benefits of having an organized home. Since I was young, I’ve felt deeply how impactful it was to make my living space both streamlined and functional. Perhaps it was a product of being a child of divorce and frequently toting my belongings back and forth from house to house. Whatever the reason, I figured out early on that the effort and intention necessary to create and maintain a tidy and organized environment was well worth the investment.
After nine years of helping others declutter and organize their living and working spaces, I believe this more than ever. Here’s why:
Organization is a Form of Self-Care
Imagine how it feels to walk into a streamlined, organized closet each morning as opposed to confronting a dumping ground of random piles. A tidy space sends a visual cue that you are caring for both your physical possessions and yourself. Being organized is a way of taking care yourself.
Likewise, think about how satisfying it is when you plan and organize your day ahead of time. Whenever I take the time to pack lunches and snacks the night before, map out my appointments, set goals, and prep for a busy day, everything feels so much easier and I am always so grateful to myself for that added effort. Whatever the space or context, putting in the time to organize your life and your physical surroundings is a way of ensuring that things run smoothly. Being organized is a gift you can give yourself.
Organization is a Form of Respect
When you are organized with your schedule, you show respect for your own time and for other people’s time. You can arrive promptly for social and business plans, and you can tackle projects more efficiently. By keeping your possessions organized and tidy, you are demonstrating respect for the environmental footprint of making the items, the money you invested to buy them, and for the items themselves. When you are careless with your belongings things will get lost or broken, and you won’t be able to use them, or pass them on to someone who could.
Organization Reduces Stress + Anxiety
Being disorganized by definition is stressful. I’ve had clients who have misplaced treasured family heirlooms, passports, important bills, even money. Being disorganized can also cause friction and resentment in relationships. By establishing organized systems for the things you use and care about, you will say goodbye to those panicked moments and frantic searches. No more late payments from misplaced bills or buying things twice because you can’t find the original. Simply put, being organized ensures that you will have more time and energy to invest in the things you truly care about.
Where are you on the organizing spectrum? Good or bad, I’d love to know how your living spaces are impacting your daily life!
Thank you for providing so much clarity around these concepts of the value of organization. I have long felt that there is some mysterious law of accumulation (similar to the law of gravity) that inevitably leads toward stress and chaos within our environment. Your explanations help me understand why I get so much satisfaction from helping my loved ones keep their homes organized; it’s a form of caring and respect and an attempt to reduce their stress. Thanks for these great explanations. Very motivating!
Elizabeth – I’m so glad you found the post helpful and motivating!
Thanks for reading!