The importance of an organised home
Achieving work/life balance
In the hustle and bustle of modern life, achieving harmony between work and personal life has become a coveted goal for many. Yet, amidst the chaotic demands of our daily routines, we often overlook a fundamental aspect that can massively influence this balance: the state of our homes.
Last week I shared five strategies for achieving a better work/life balance, and I mentioned briefly the importance of your work environment (read the full article here). Whereas today, I want to explore your home environment.
Picture this: you've just returned from a long day at work, your head is swimming with tasks and deadlines. As you step into your home, instead of finding peace and tranquility, you're met with a cluttered living room, dishes piled high in the sink, and an overwhelming sense of disarray. In this scenario, the transition from work to relaxation is difficult, if not impossible.
This is where the significance of an organised home comes into play. Beyond the aesthetics, the organisation of our living spaces holds the potential to revolutionise our work/life balance. By cultivating an environment that nurtures order and efficiency, you can lay the groundwork for enhanced productivity, reduced stress, and ultimately, a more fulfilling life.
I previously shared some thoughts on home organisation on my Instagram (see photo above), and Holly Tucker agreed with me that before jumping into systems and solutions for work, the first place to start is your home.
“With my home life in order, it certainly makes my work life less stressful.”
The impact of clutter
Our physical environment can impact our cognitive resources, our emotions, behaviour, decision. making and even relationships!
“Cluttered spaces can have negative effects on our stress and anxiety levels, as well as our ability to focus, our eating choices, and even our sleep.” - Libby Sanders, Harvard Business Review
Removing clutter from your environment can lead to a sense of calm and reduced stress levels as a tidy space promotes relaxation and mental clarity. It’s. been scientifically shown that ‘constant visual reminders of disorganisation drain our cognitive resources’ (source) and that when we clear the clutter we are able to focus better.
I don’t know about you, but I certainly feel better when my home is clean and clear rather than cluttered and chaotic! And I do better at work when my desk and office space are organised and tidy. Let me know in the comments what your preference is.
How to organise your home life
Begin with decluttering
The first step before you begin organising, is to declutter. There are so many different approaches to decluttering, and it might feel overwhelming to get started. Experiment and see what works best for you… e.g. little and often, or carve out a day to blitz a few rooms. It might be tempting to start with a room that doesn’t get used often, like a guest bedroom perhaps, but you want to be able to notice and appreciate the impact you’re making - especially at the start - so I’d target instead a room that you do use. I’ve written a few posts on decluttering before, so you can hit up my blog archive here.
Assign your belongings a home
All of the items in my house have a home, which makes it quicker and easier to find things and it makes cleaning easier too. There are some crazy statistics around the time we waste looking for misplaced items (and I’ve been there; I used to put things in a ‘safe place’ when the kids were little to only forget what the safe place was… and we also spend a lot of money on replacement items too).
Simple systems
You might think systems are for a workplace, but you can implement systems and automation in your home too. I’ve shared a few examples previously (here), but this might look like a workflow for laundry or meal prep, or using subscription services to automate your regular purchases (I get my pet food, cleaning products and more on subscription).
Project Manage Your Life
Want some help with this stuff? I’m opening the doors to my signature programme, Project Manage Your Life, later this month. It’s perfect for busy professionals and small business owners who are feeling overwhelmed and wish there were more hours in the day. I’ll be teaching you all about time management, organisation and more in this live programme (taught over Zoom). Have a look here on my website for more information, or drop me an email if you’d like to chat.