I try to stay tidy, organised and clean as much as I can. I don't think I'm particularly successful and usually do not succeed in keeping my living space as clean and clear as possible. That being said, there are some small and particular things that help to encourage me to keep my spaces clear, and consequently I feel as though my mind is clearer too.
The name of this sounds a little strange but it makes a lot of sense. Sometimes, the reason you don't want to do something is because you need to find motivation to get ready to do the task. This might be; getting the hoover out, unwinding the cord and plugging it in. Or, having to go to the cleaning cupboard to get the cloths and sponges to clean the bathroom or dust the surfaces in your room. So to combat this, you move the smaller and frequently used items to somewhere closer and easier to use.
For example, in my bathroom is a sponge that my flatmate and I use to clean the sink after we've used it, or if ever we think it needs a good wipe-down. I try to keep a cloth in my room for when it needs dusting, so I can just dampen it and wipe down the surfaces. Or keep the bottle I use to water my plants, in my room.
I find this tip so useful and try to use it in so many other parts of my life to help me stick to my habits and hopefully you can find ways to do this in your own home!
It's so simple, yet so effective. Set an alarm on your phone for a particular time each day (this could be different depending on when you know you'll be free(er)), and then when the alarm goes off, stop what you're doing and set a 20 minute timer and get some cleaning done. Once the timer is up, call it a day for cleaning that thing/task, and move on. This is great because I know I could clean the kitchen for hours if I really wanted to. But, also as it's only 20 minutes I'm far more likely to actually get cleaning because the time commitment is lower.
This might be my favourite tip. If I have loads of washing up to do, I whack on a 20 minute timer and get going, telling myself I can stop when it goes off if I want to. Equally this works for a difficult work task to get yourself started and going.
(3) Keeping a list of all regular cleaning jobs nearby
For me, this means having my google keep checklist with all the cleaning jobs I can do written down. This isn't necessarily only the things that need to be done, but everything I could do either daily, every-other day, or weekly to keep my spaces clear. For example, my list looks something like this;
I have this in my google keep, which is also an opening tab when I open my browser, so it always to hand. I can tick them off as I go and try to keep on top of the things that are difficult and making my space feel hectic.
For me, it's when my boyfriend comes to visit for weekends, that my room always gets the most chaotic. I only ever use glasses to drink from in the kitchen, otherwise I just use a water bottle. I also tend not to eat meals in my room. However, whenever he comes to visit, we eat takeaways on my bedroom floor and have a glass of wine (or coke), which then often does not get moved until after he has left. Also, as he doesn't live with me, and I haven't been generous enough to clear him out a draw he tends to live out of his bag, making the room look like a tip.
It's not just him though, I do it too. When I'm tired and don't want to put away my clothes. Or when I'm rushing and don't want to move my makeup bag back to where it belongs. But by simply just putting items back immediately after I have used them, even if it is just a pen, my room and my space is much cleaner and more pleasant to live in. Plus, it seriously cuts down on the amount of tidying I need to do.
Sometimes the reason clutter builds up is because some items just don't have a home, or their home is on the top of a counter. There are only some items I have on counters/tables. I keep most of my main skincare on my dresser so I am more likely to do it and remember each step. This sort of ties into the frictions, I keep them out to make sure that I keep up with my skincare. I also keep my microwavable beanie animal on my bed with my throw cushions, else I'm not sure where it would live otherwise.
I hope you've found these useful! If you have any other advice, or you've tried any of them, tell me in the comments! I would love some more handy tips and tricks because despite all this, things still get messy and disorganised.
Thank you so much for reading!
Caitlin G x
instagram: @caitlinggodfrey
(1) Reduce frictions
The name of this sounds a little strange but it makes a lot of sense. Sometimes, the reason you don't want to do something is because you need to find motivation to get ready to do the task. This might be; getting the hoover out, unwinding the cord and plugging it in. Or, having to go to the cleaning cupboard to get the cloths and sponges to clean the bathroom or dust the surfaces in your room. So to combat this, you move the smaller and frequently used items to somewhere closer and easier to use.
For example, in my bathroom is a sponge that my flatmate and I use to clean the sink after we've used it, or if ever we think it needs a good wipe-down. I try to keep a cloth in my room for when it needs dusting, so I can just dampen it and wipe down the surfaces. Or keep the bottle I use to water my plants, in my room.
I find this tip so useful and try to use it in so many other parts of my life to help me stick to my habits and hopefully you can find ways to do this in your own home!
(2) 20 minute clean
If you have even scratched the surface on the cleaning/tidying/organised living world then you would have heard of this. And even if you haven't, this idea is probably not that uncommon.It's so simple, yet so effective. Set an alarm on your phone for a particular time each day (this could be different depending on when you know you'll be free(er)), and then when the alarm goes off, stop what you're doing and set a 20 minute timer and get some cleaning done. Once the timer is up, call it a day for cleaning that thing/task, and move on. This is great because I know I could clean the kitchen for hours if I really wanted to. But, also as it's only 20 minutes I'm far more likely to actually get cleaning because the time commitment is lower.
This might be my favourite tip. If I have loads of washing up to do, I whack on a 20 minute timer and get going, telling myself I can stop when it goes off if I want to. Equally this works for a difficult work task to get yourself started and going.
(3) Keeping a list of all regular cleaning jobs nearby
For me, this means having my google keep checklist with all the cleaning jobs I can do written down. This isn't necessarily only the things that need to be done, but everything I could do either daily, every-other day, or weekly to keep my spaces clear. For example, my list looks something like this;I have this in my google keep, which is also an opening tab when I open my browser, so it always to hand. I can tick them off as I go and try to keep on top of the things that are difficult and making my space feel hectic.
(4) Put things back straight after using them
This doesn't really need an explanation, but I'll give you a quick one anyway. Once you've finished using something, put it back where it "lives" immediately afterwards. This is incredibly helpful at keeping things where they belong and keeping your space in check.For me, it's when my boyfriend comes to visit for weekends, that my room always gets the most chaotic. I only ever use glasses to drink from in the kitchen, otherwise I just use a water bottle. I also tend not to eat meals in my room. However, whenever he comes to visit, we eat takeaways on my bedroom floor and have a glass of wine (or coke), which then often does not get moved until after he has left. Also, as he doesn't live with me, and I haven't been generous enough to clear him out a draw he tends to live out of his bag, making the room look like a tip.
It's not just him though, I do it too. When I'm tired and don't want to put away my clothes. Or when I'm rushing and don't want to move my makeup bag back to where it belongs. But by simply just putting items back immediately after I have used them, even if it is just a pen, my room and my space is much cleaner and more pleasant to live in. Plus, it seriously cuts down on the amount of tidying I need to do.
(5) Give everything a home
That being said, I also have orchid spray which just lives on my bedroom floor. Small items like this, living in places they just don't belong creates extra clutter and can make places feel messy, even when its supposedly 'tidy'. By moving the notebooks off my desk to a permanent home, I'm not moving them from my desk and bed every time I work or want to rest. This can be difficult without clever storage but by looking for ingenious places to keep things, or, for example, just putting loose papers into a folder, can make surfaces look a lot tidier.
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Thank you so much for reading!
Caitlin G x
instagram: @caitlinggodfrey
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