4 Tips to Feel More Organized and Less Stressed

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Baby In playroom 4 tips to get organizedRaise your hand if you’ve ever felt like your life was one big mess. Like, literally, one huge pile of mess and mayhem. If you’re reading this, you’re probably a parent. And if you’re a parent you know all too well the mess that comes with trying to raise, educate, entertain and feed those amazing children you love with all you’ve got.

Lately the mess in my house has left me feeling exhausted before my day has hardly started.

The routine of searching for library books, missing shoes, and getting knocked in the head with stray medicine bottles when I open the kitchen cabinet (to reach for a k-cup so I can properly caffeinate myself to get out the door) is getting old.

“I tell myself it shouldn’t be like this. I need to GET ORGANIZED!”

Before I had kids my home was fairly organized and usually clean. Since becoming a parent the clutter, clothes, dishes, laundry and toys appear to have taken over. I just can’t seem to find the time to get everything organized. Don’t even get me started on the clean factor. The amount of sand smuggled in on a daily basis (plus the fact that I live in a houseful of boys with questionable bathroom aim) has left me resigned to an endless cycle of cleaning up new messes. I know this too shall pass as my boys grow up.

I just yearn for things to run smoothly, for everything to have a place (and be in its place when I go to find it), and to feel soothed and relaxed when we come home.

Lately I’ve been feeling overwhelmed and literally stepping over piles when I walk in the door.

I’m telling you this not to brag and vent about how ridiculous my messy life is but rather to let you know if this all sounds too familiar that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. I see you, mom. I see you, dad. And, most importantly, it’s okay to ask for help!

I find myself encouraging my kids on a regular basis to ask for help when they need it. I also tell them adults aren’t perfect and we need help too.

Hopefully these tips can help all of us get a little more organized and feel a lot less stressed:

1. MAKE A GAME PLAN AND START WITH MANAGEABLE TASKS

Cleaning closet with kidsGetting organized takes time to sort through everything, so don’t be afraid to break up tasks by room, closet, or cabinet. Finding the time to get organized can be the biggest hurdle and is key to getting started.

Ask for childcare help for a few hours or try to conquer one cabinet during nap time. If you’re feeling brave include your kids in the sorting and organizing of an area they can help with.

2. IF IT DOESN’T BRING YOU JOY (OR GET USED), LET IT GO

This is the hardest part of getting organized for most of us. Set yourself up with a sturdy bag or boxes for donations and a hefty bag for trash as you sort. If it doesn’t fit, hasn’t been worn, or used in the last year it’s got to go.
If it’s a special occasion item, seasonal, or something that might fit again or be used by another child you can ROTATE it. Think clear storage bins or vacuum bags that can be stored out of the way and free up valuable space for organized items you use regularly. I highly recommend sorting and rotating toys on a regular basis. My kids enjoy their toys more and have an easier time cleaning up when we make the time to keep up with toy rotation.

3. THINK INSIDE THE BOX OR BINS

Bins in closet to help organizeIf you’ve found the right place for the things you use and want to keep, using small and large bins can make keeping everything accessible and organized easier. I’m a huge fan of built-in bins for shoes and backpacks in mud room areas and toy bins in the playroom. (Be forewarned that bins require regular sorting and cleaning or they might become storage for sand and missing parts).
Using smaller bins and baskets to organize medicines, spices, cosmetics and toys on shelves can make everything easier to access and prevent things from falling off the coffee shelf and knocking you in the head. Remember to store things you only use occasionally on the highest and lowest shelves.
I recently helped my mom organize her kitchen when she moved into a new home. We used nifty Dollar Tree bins to organize spices, pastas, and snacks so it would be easier to reach things on shelves. I can’t wait to make time to do the same in my own kitchen.

4. ASK FOR HELP 

Child helping to cleanConsider hiring a professional organizer, cleaning service, or assign manageable organizing tasks to individual family members. If you have a friend in the same situation take turns helping one another get organized to make the job half the work and twice the fun. And when all else fails just embrace the disorganized mess!

As much as we’d all probably
like to be more Marie Kondo than Hot Mess, the hot mess is a blessing worth more than an organized world full of rolled sock drawers.

I’m off to try and use these tips to finish organizing the bathroom I promised myself I’d get done.

Please share your tips for getting organized. And check out our top 10 favorite cleaning products