Disorganized, Stressed & Overwhelmed-Help!

Of course as a professional organizer I am called in when people have reached the point where they are disorganized, stressed and feeling overwhelmed by their belongings, they are calling for “help!”  People are so busy with life in general that they often don’t have the time to deal with the belongings that have taken over.  They look at the piles and they just don’t know where to start which makes them feel overwhelmed.  Their belongings have officially crossed the line from being a source of enjoyment to a source of stress; that’s not good and it feels even worse. Feeling overwhelmed will create a perpetual cycle of frustration. Let’s figure out how to eliminate that right now.

Here are a few tips to get you started in the right direction if you are feeling overwhelmed:

1)    Don’t let your belongings rule you, you’re the boss!
2)    Focus on one small area; don’t try to tackle everything at once.  Slow & steady wins the race.
3)    You don’t have to get rid of everything, part with what you don’t use, love or can’t fix.
4)    Let go of guilt and let go of the excess baggage-it’s bringing you down, take back your space.
5)    Enlist the help of your family to pitch in on decluttering and then celebrate with a fun outing-not shopping though!
6)    Write down what you want your end result to be, it will keep you motivated during the decluttering process.

Declutter your home and enjoy the results of being organized, relaxed and in control!

Organizing On a Shoestring Budget

I am a professional organizer, but that doesn’t mean I spend tons of money on organizing products to organize my home.  Are there great products out there?  Yes!  Do I LOVE organizing products?  Yes!  But when you need to save a few dollars, you can also use items you have on hand to stretch your organizing dollars.

One of the biggest factors in having an organized space is having homes for your belongings.  They don’t have to be fancy, especially when organizing drawers or closets other people won’t be looking into.

The ordinary shoebox is a great all-purpose storage container.  They come in all different sizes and can hold all kinds of items.  I use them for storing shoe polish, batteries and light bulbs.  Just be sure to have a separate box for each type of item you are organizing and adding a label is even better!

One of my favorite storage containers was a plastic fruit tray from Costco, you get to eat the fruit, wash it and then organize!  With all the different compartments, I used one to organize all my beauty supplies under my bathroom sink.

Any containers you come across have the possibility to organize and hold something.  I am very careful when I look at a container to know where and how I will use it.  I don’t just keep a bunch of empty containers on hand “just in case.”  That will end up causing more clutter!  If you really must keep a few, then have one place set aside to store them and keep several sizes.  If after a while, if you just can’t find a use for it-part with it!

Organize your home on a shoestring budget by using containers that come your way!