Have you ever lost something and had absolutely no idea where to start looking for it?
This happens to me fairly often — largely thanks to my unique filing system. That is: I tend to just leave things lying around until I discover I need them for something!
I’m sure I’m not the only one to adopt this strategy. But new research has revealed a compelling reason why I should give it up: it causes quite a lot of stress.
Smart storage provider Caboodle has found that more than two-thirds of Britons experience stress because of clutter at home.
And women (79%) are more stressed by it than men (59%).
This perhaps goes some way to explaining the stark contrast between my desk and designer Wendy’s desk . . .
Wendy’s desk.
My desk . . .
Although clutter seems to bother more women than men, both sexes are apparently keen to do something about it.
Around one third of survey respondents said they would be keen to clear out in order to relieve stress, or to improve their mental health.
Plus, 69% agreed they could spend less time cleaning their homes if they took a more ruthless approach to clutter.
Suddenly it doesn’t seem like a bad idea at all!
Lose that clutter: Caboodle’s top tips
- Start decluttering one room at a time, starting in one corner so to not overwhelm you, take items and sort them into the 3 categories keep, save and throw. BONUS TIP: Always leave the room and take a short break before you finally make your decisions.
- Always use big crates or bin bags to sort items into piles it makes the clean up so much easier.
- Have cleaning products to hand as you declutter so you can clean as you go.
- Never feel regret. If you can’t disassociate yourself from treasured possessions that you just can’t use at the moment then ‘Save’ them by using a storage solution that will keep everything organised.
- Always check with other members of your family on the key items you are ‘throwing’, to make sure everyone is happy and no one else wants the items.
Click here for more health and wellness tips from “The People’s Friend”.
Iain McDonald I am the Digital Content Editor at the “Friend”, making me responsible for managing the flow of interesting and entertaining content on the magazine’s website and social media channels.
