What if tidying held a place of honour in our lives? What if cleaning up was no longer seen as a chore we constantly put off until next week, but rather, a chance to feel better… much better? Instead of a time-consuming task or source of frustration, tidying up can have beneficial effects on our health. And for some, it’s a veritable way of life…
The mere sight of a well made bed…
Who hasn’t felt a certain sense of satisfaction at the sight of a well made bed? You come back in the evening, tired, nothing went as planned all day, but you have a great surprise waiting for you: the sight of a clean and tidy home… and your bed which was made this very morning!
“If you want to change the world, start by making the bed”
Admiral William McRaven
A messy home creates stress. It makes us dwell on all the tidying we should have done and continue to put off. In other words, to tidy is to quit procrastinating and rid yourself of the resulting guilt. By tidying up you create a sense of pride, and fuel your personal satisfaction.
Making a choice entails giving something up… but also progressing!
Before you tidy, you have to sort through your stuff.. This is the first challenge you face and, in turn, the first reward. Some people want to hold on to everything, hence their lack of space…. ‘I can still use it!’ they say. But clutter only gets worse, the loft is full, you can’t find anything… Whether it’s files, ornaments or souvenirs, put everything you no longer want into a large box. Resell, give away or bin everything that no longer has a place in your home.
You’ll feel lighter, and will now be able to display the clothes, belongings and ornaments that you really do like or which are important to you. Tidying lets you purge your home, and in a way, your soul. Note that this desire to sort and prioritise will be very useful in your professional life, whether to organise your workspace or get a project completed.
Gain time and energy
Now the real tidying begins. Each object or item of clothing should have a dedicated place, saving you time when you need to find it.
All that time you don’t waste looking for things can be spent on something far more fulfilling or useful.
Examples: Instead of looking for your glasses all over the house, you can get on with reading the book. Instead of searching high and low for your mobile, you can already be on the phone with a friend or client. Instead of rummaging for your socks in the morning, you’ll have more time for breakfast…
👉 Tip for storing clothes: to save room and maximise the use of your living space, create vertical storage. Shelves and hanging storage will help you to organise your clothes while saving space. With vertical storage, you can find your clothes more easily: keep those you use most regularly within arm’s reach, the less important things on the bottom shelves…. it’s a simple as that!
I am no longer master in my own home!
Sigmund Freud said of our mind (and our unconscious):
“The ego is not master in his own house”.
Taken literally, this applies perfectly to the chaos that reigns in your home, and that reminds you on a daily basis that the house does as it pleases. To tidy is to take action and not fall victim to your home. It is to create functional rooms and a practical, more carefree lifestyle.
Harmonious hallways, i. e., tidy and functional, are a source of well-being because they are at your service. Cluttered spaces, meanwhile, only provide frustration and create disarray.
👉 Tip: to save space and create functional rooms, consider vacuum storage bags. They can store and protect your belongings while saving you up to 75% extra space!
The Marie Kondo method
Marie Kondo’s book — The Magic of Tidying — is a bestseller with more than 2.3 million copies sold worldwide. An interesting read, this book by an organising consultant (yes, it’s a thing!) will help you to create the home of your dreams. Before sorting and storing, it is vital to do a little introspection: what would you like your home to look like? What will your style be? To sincerely reflect on these questions completely changes the game.
“Keep only things that bring you joy”
Marie Kondo
Tidying is no longer a repetitive waste of time, rather the chance to rethink your home interiors, and to create a place to live in accordance with your ideals. The feeling of accomplishment that you’ll experience can be no less than beneficial.
Tidying is a new beginning! See our article on the Konmari method: Proper tidying for a better life
A healthy lifestyle…
Sorting and tidying are not only for the home. You can also apply the minimalist principle to your professional and personal projects: sort through your projects starting with the priorities, and put the rest to one side. You can only be effective when you focus and free your mind from distractions.
Mess in the collective imagination…
Mess is associated with negative emotions and images. When we think of messiness, we can easily conjure up a dirty, cluttered, confined room. The basement or the loft are places that best embody “mess”. The dust accumulates there, insects and damp gnaw at wood and walls here and there…The collective imagination associates these places with anxiety, fear, the macabre…These form the omnipresent settings of films horror and fantasy novels.
Organising and tidying, on the other hand, are synonymous with harmony, clean open spaces, warmth and joy.
Conclusion: the actual time-consuming thing isn’t tidying up, but “clutter”. All the time spent on tidying is saved in the long run by not rummaging around for things. You’ll know exactly where each garment, book, item, document and souvenir is… all those things that really matter to you!
So the question is… keep things tidy or create the stress of a mess?