Better Homes and Gardens Australia — December 2017

BETTER WELLBEING

o

ne of the

quickest

ways to

create a

sense of calm and

order in your frenetic

world is to clear out

clutter. Room by room,

carefully sorting,

organising and just

plain tossing out

stuff that no longer

brings you comfort

and joy will give

you much needed

breathing space.

SENTIMENTAL

YOU?

Some of us tote

our past around in

the form of old love

letters, ticket stubs,

airline tickets and

every piece of

artwork by the kids.

Absolutely nothing

wrong with that, but

keep it together in a

couple of beautiful

storage boxes

or get creative

and display your

favourite cards,

pics or tickets in

an artsy frame.

clutter control

OPERATION

Whether it’s your undies drawer or your whole dang house, getting possessions under

control frees precious time and energy and helps restore your sanity!

Photography Getty Images

172 BHG DECEMBER 2017

SPACE CONTROL

There’s everyday clutter that results

from failure to tidy as you go; the

laundry that never makes it from basket

to closet, stacks of magazines you’ll

get around to reading one day, junk

mail you’ll sort when you get a sec.

But it’s also excessive possessions,

or too much stuff in too little space. As

• Target problem areas. You’ll need
  a plan. Work out which spaces need
  attention then decide how to tackle
  each one. Decide what to keep, donate/
  recycle or bin. Be ready with storage
  boxes, containers and garbage bags.
  Heck, you may even have to rent a skip!


• Commit to the 10-minute tidy-up.
  Devoting 10 minutes a day to picking
  up and putting away is an effective way
  to avoid returning to the clutter trap.
  
  
  • Get storage savvy. Be creative.
    Tubs, baskets, stackable cubes,
    hanging organisers for shoes, bags,
    jumpers or just about anything else
    can create instant extra space.
  
  
  • Start small. Attack one space at a time
    and stick at it until it’s done. Resolve
    not to be distracted by shiny objects!
  
  
  • Designate. Unless you live solo, the
    load should be shared. Call a family
    meeting to whip lazy butts into shape!
  
  
  
  

YOUR PLAN OF attack

modern consumers, we love to gather

‘things’ about us. Whether it’s clothes,

shoes, handbags, kitchen gadgets

and small appliances, electronic

devices or toys for the kids, we’re a

‘see it, love it, gotta have it’ society.

ENJOY THE FEELING

Unwittingly though, allowing clutter

to creep in and slowly take over can

trigger a low hum of anxiety. Maybe

you feel it when you can never find

what you’re looking for or when you’ve

literally run out of places to put stuff.

Perhaps there’s that one room you

walk into only to turn heel and walk

right back out because you just can’t

face it. (You know that room or closet,

it’s the one where you shove stuff in,

close the door and hope for the best!)

A bad case of clutter doesn’t mean

you’re lazy or disorganised, it more

likely says you’re busy with priorities.

However, it’s a promise that when

you get on top of clutter, you’ll be

more in control of so much else!