Hi friends! Who else has had to deal with this crazy Canadian weather? Being stuck inside all weekend during the ice storm provided the perfect opportunity to veg, chill out, and of course catch up on a little spring cleaning. But where to even begin? Spring cleaning, while refreshing, can be overwhelming, especially with the amount of junk and “stuff” accumulated during the winter months. Luckily, my friend Julia from Noun Management is here to help get us guide us through the process starting with the Space Tour. Over to you Julia!
PHYSICAL SPACE
I am quite sensitive to physical space. I hate when my closet is messy, my desk is cluttered, and foods are in weird places in the fridge (Why!? Why did you put the jam there, it’s always here). Perhaps you feel you are simply too busy or lazy to think about where exactly something goes, and I get that, but what may take you 2 seconds now, can save you time, money, and frustration in the long run. Let’s set you up.
L i f e i s h a r d.
Allow your environment to make life easier by
reducing obstacles that keep you from achieving your goals.
WHY THIS MATTERS
- Saves Money – You won’t buy stuff you already have because you know your inventory
- Saves Time – You spend less time searching for things, and spend less time going to the store so often.
- Less Frustrated – The hunt is reduced, and so are the “Hunny! Where’s the insert anything here?” You decrease the potential moments of being frazzled.
SPACE TOUR
Begin by physically walking through your space. Start from when you wake up, or where you enter when you first enter the house with groceries, or where you enter after work. What do you do first? What comes after that? Are there times when you unnecessarily go into another room to get something? Can you move it? Great, do it! When you walk in the door after a long day, do you put your bag and keys on the floor? Then, do you lose your keys the next time you need to go out. Set yourself up to avoid this frustrating and time-consuming situation. Put a hook on the wall or a dish on a table by the door and get into the habit of always putting your keys there unless you’re out. What about your coats? Is your closet bursting? Since it’s spring, fold up your winter coats and scarves, hats, and mitts and put them in a storage bin under your bed or in another closet. Allow the choices left in your closet to be wise ones. Don’t waste your time and brain power searching through 3 Fall coats and 2 Winter ones, when you only have 2 spring jackets. Would you like to know our suggestions for reducing what’s in your closet? Let us know!
SAFETY
As you continue through your home, consider how safe it is. According to Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, safety is a main need which motivates human behaviour (McLeod, 2014). To produce a sense of physical safety, one’s space should protect from the elements, provide security, order and stability (McLeod, 2014). Aside from potential renovations, ask yourself if there are areas of your space that aren’t safe. If you continually bump your hip on that table, or get your sweater caught on the hardware on your cupboards, perhaps change is in order.
COMFORT
Acknowledge how you feel in your space. Design company Herman Miller (2007) notes that comfort isn’t easy to measure but being uncomfortable pairs with being distracted (p. 2). If you are constantly squinting while watching TV, perhaps the solution could be to move your TV to another place, or to hang blinds. At your desk, if you are distracted by sounds, maybe noise cancelling headphones are worth investing in.
Beyond safety and comfort, take note of the small spaces you get caught up in. You may spend an unnecessary amount of time sorting through the drawer with the lunch containers, or your jewelry box. Make adjustments as you go. Please feel free to send us your specific questions and we’ll give you some suggestions.
VIBES
Additionally, be mindful of whether or not you actually LIKE elements of your space. Does that lazy-boy in the corner drive you nuts? Do you wish your bathroom felt more like a spa and less like a nautical trip to the beach? Begin to purge the items that don’t bring you any positive feelings. I recommend minimalist strategies and Hygge concepts to assist you in creating spaces you like. Again, if you would like to know our thoughts on creating spaces to help cultivate joy, let us know and we can devote more time into writing about this topic.
After this general sweep of your space, let’s tackle some specific areas: Bathroom and Closets, The Kitchen, and The Office Space. Eventually, we’ll get into the nitty gritty: Schedules and Calendars, and Finances.
Always remember, what may look like chaos to one person, makes perfect sense to another. As long as there’s a method to your madness – you do you!
Genuinely,
Shop to start organizing today!
Details:
Urban Outfitters Gary Multi-Hook Wall Shelf • Urban Outfitters • $24
Urban Outfitters Optic Lines Wall Hook Shelf • Urban Outfitters • $39
Union Rustic Drewniak Wall Mounted Coat Rack • $32.99
Sorbus Foldable Fabric Storage Organizer Bag – Set of 2 – Grey • $17.97
HONEY CAN DO Honey-Can-Do 3-Pack Vacuum-Sealed Clothing Storage Bags • Honey-Can-Do • $25
B & O PLAY H9i Wireless Headphones • $500
SONY Wireless Noise-Cancelling Extra Bass Headphones • Sony • $249
FINE JEWELRY Hives & Honey Elsa Silver Jewelry Mirror • $291.65
Umbra Tesora Jewelry Stand • Umbra • C$72.70
CATHY’S CONCEPTS Compass Watch & Jewelry Case • Cathy’s Concepts • $51
YouCopia StoraStack Food Container Storage Organizer • $16.99
Rev-A-Shelf Food Storage Pull Out Drawer • $202–222
Work Cited:
Herman Miller. (2008). Rethinking the classroom space: Spaces Designed for Active and Engaged Learning and Teaching. Retrieved April 15, 2018, from https://www.hermanmiller.com/research/categories/white-papers/rethinking-the-classroom/
McLeod, S. Simply Psychology. (2014). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Retrieved April 15, 2018, from http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html
Sweet and Saving 