Try This At Home
Happy Tuesday Everyone! Today I am excited to introduce the series Try This At Home.
In October, I shared that Gretchen Rubin’s Happier podcast is currently my favorite podcast. Each week she includes a segment of suggesting something to try at home that can assist in making life both easier and happier. Her suggestions range and over time I have begun to incorporate many into my own life. After much thought, I felt this would be a perfect series to include and was fortunate enough to have my husband agree to try many of the suggestions along with me. My reviews will be honest and I will certainly discuss if certain tips are not successful.
As January is often the month of organization, the tip I chose to begin with and focus upon over the past month has been Take One Thing With You.
Take one thing with you is a concept to consider each time you leave a room. Within each room of the house, there is likely an item that belongs somewhere else. There may be mail on the kitchen counter that needs to go to the office or the recycle bin. It’s also not uncommon to have a glass on the nightstand that needs to be returned to the kitchen. This simple tip helps with creating more order in the house rather than leaving things to a point where you are overwhelmed with clutter or find yourself doing a massive clean up.
At first I felt that I already focused upon this task. However, I quickly realized that there were times I left a room to go to another without anything in my hands. It was easy to find something to take with me and I quickly developed the routine of looking at what was around me that needed to.
The most interesting room for me was in my closet. Although I have the habit of grouping my empty hangers together, it was not an uncommon ritual to find myself needing those hangers in the laundry room as I was taking items out of the dryer. A new routine became grabbing the hangers as I left the closet. After all, I need to walk by the laundry room as I go down the stairs. As I asked James to try this task, I found he often would grab something as he went downstairs and state “taking something with me.” As I write this he acknowledged he didn’t remember taking his shoes off by the couch and took them upstairs.
Research is showing that clutter does lead to depression and small steps can begin to alleviate daily clutter. I found this a great tip that I continue to utilize on a daily basis. Although there are still things that don’t automatically get to where they belong, they do get closer and create less clutter. If you are interested in tips to try at home before next week’s post, you can catch up on past Happier podcasts via Gretchen’s page or find it on Itunes.
I encourage you to try the Take One Thing With You tip. Do you think this is something you will try at home?
That really is a great idea. I actually do this on most days – I’ll even create a little pile on one of our tables of things that need to go upstairs so I can grab them/one of them whenever I go up. I do not do well in clutter – probably why I’m always SO ready to get all the Christmas decorations put away each new year! 😉
Clutter really does cause stress. I loved my Christmas decorations but I was equally glad to put them away and now the house seems so clean and open!
Sometimes I do this without even noticing..I am addicted to efficiency and it can get a little annoying. But I think making a conscious effort to start doing small things like this each day is such a doable task…eventually you just do it without thinking. This is a great new series! So fun!
Thanks Alexis! As I said, I already did this somewhat but this tip did make me start looking at everything differently. Surprisingly, there has always been something that needed to go somewhere else.
This is a really great tip .I’m definitely going to try it. Thank you!
Thanks Shann, I hope you will let me know how it goes for you. Make sure to come back next week for another tip.
Clutter causes me so much anxiety. I am definitely going to start doing this and hopefully will get the 5 year old and the 40 year old to do it as well!! (wish me luck)
Yes, let’s see if you can get those two to start doing it. Maybe if they see you doing it they will begin to follow!
Clutter stress me out! I try to be very organized but living in a household with other people clutter can accumulate pretty quickly. I like the idea of taking one thing with you and I am definitely going to give it a try
Charlene
The Frugal Fashionista
I hope you will give it a try Charlene. I know it’s hard when there are others in the house but I think this is a tip you can encourage everyone to start trying. I’ve certainly started looking at rooms differently.
Clutter does stress me out! I am trying to deal with it and get through it with moving but I am going to take this to heart!
Oh Nina,moving is a great time to start new organization. It will be great once you get settled in.
I LOVE THIS so much. I’m sitting on the couch reading this and just told Jason we have to start! We both leave stuff in random rooms though clutter stresses me. This is a great way to start taking care of it! I am very excited about this series!
Thanks Lindsay! These tips are not going to be that difficult but are eye opening to how we are living. I really loved this tip and think it can help everyone. Please let me know if you start doing it.
I love Gretchin Rubin! I’ve tried very hard to follow her idea of “if it takes less than 3 minutes, do it”. This seems to go along with that!
It’s not that difficult once you begin to acknowledge what can be done. Thanks for stopping by.
I need this in my life! The book you and I discussed just came today and I am so looking forward to decluttering and taking control again of my house and life.
I can’t wait to hear what you think about the book. There are many good points. It’s all about finding a place for the things in your life and letting go of what you don’t need.
Don’t leave a room empty handed!!! I say it all the time! Hoping it will sink in with my kids. I try to help by setting things on the stairs for my teens to see as the go up but apparently only I can see those things. LOL! This is great advice! Thank you for joining our Welcome Home Wednesdays Linky Party!
Thanks for stopping by Tracy. I think teens have the superpower to see only what they want to see. Here’s hoping they will eventually get the hang of what something being on the stairs means!