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Now that some of the restrictions on your life are eased and stores are opening do you want to shop? With fewer activities available to participate in, do you find that shopping is away to pass your time? Especially during these difficult times, it is easy to use retail therapy as a way to temporarily feel better. Shop with a purpose and a list. This will help you to only buy what you need, stay within your budget and keep the clutter under control.
If you find that you spend too much time or money shopping, here are some ideas from “Don’t Agonize Organize your Office” by Diane A Hatcher.
Buying for the Wrong Reasons
- It was on sale
- Too good a bargain to pass up
- I may find a use for it someday
- Someone else I know may need it one day
- It feels good to shop
How to Buy
- Shop for things you need not want
- Shop for things that fit into the space you have
- What am I going to use it for?
- Where am I going to put it?
- When you buy something new, give 2 things away.
Whenever you buy, make a plan first.
Signs can encourage to purchase items, so follow your plan not their plan. Remember:
What habits have you set for yourself so you don’t buy unnecessary items?
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She enjoys working with her clients to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She reduces clutter, streamlines processes and manages time to help her clients be more effective in reaching their goals. Julie can coach you to break-free of the physical or emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
My guest blogger this month is Laura McHolm, an organizational, moving and storage expert, and co-founder of NorthStar Moving Company. NorthStar Moving Company is an award-winning, “A+” rated company, which specializes in providing eco-luxury moving and storage services.
Many believe that to lead a more organized and inspired life, the clutter around you must be cleared. It’s simple: if your home is organized, your mindset will be too.
A clean and balanced home is actually a launching pad for many other goals and resolutions. So if you’re already starting to fail at some of your other 2021 resolutions, try this home resolution instead: find more space in your home by clearing out the clutter! Follow these ten tips and I promise you it will inspire you to complete your other resolutions and lead you to a more organized and happier year!
Pantries
Create room by removing the large and awkward food packaging. Purchase clear, air-tight containers, take the box of your food item and cut out the product name, nutritional facts and expiration date. Tape them to the inside of your clear container and then seal the food.
Pantry Shelves
Arrange the food on your shelves to help keep your resolutions. Make “first choice” shelves for the food that you want to stay on that diet. Make shelves that are for the kids’ snacks or foods that you’re just not going to have on a regular basis anymore… You get the idea –some shelves are just for the once a week treat. Some are for every day.
Pantry Storage
If you like to buy in bulk, put the bulk of your paper goods in another location, perhaps a closet or the garage, and place only what you need in your pantry— restock as needed. Tape a note to the shelf stating the location of the extra supplies. When you use the last item it will remind you of the location where more are stored.
In the Kitchen
When storing pots, pans and other durable items, stack them on their sides like files. This simple step not only creates more room, it also allows you to see exactly what you need. Caddies or sorters from a shelf or container store have great tools for vertical organizing. Have all this in mind when planning your next kitchen remodelling.
It’s simple: if your home is organized, your mindset will be too. Share on XDressers
Place clothing in drawers vertically (not the traditional horizontal piles) because it not only maximizes space, it allows you to find items more quickly. You can purchase wooden planks or plastic planks to use as dividers. This way you can see all of your clothes at once when you open the drawer.
Closets
If your shoes don’t have a place they end up in a pile taking up valuable space. Place shoes and accessories in clear plastic containers so you can see everything and tape their photo to the inside of their container with the photo facing out. This little step gives you triple duty: more space, you can find it easier and better still you can put it away in the exact same spot for the next time that hot date rolls around…
Our Shoe Box, Container Store
Organize by Color
Organize your closet and drawers from dark to light. It can be a great way to find out that you really have way too many black blouses… and you can keep your resolution of being kinder and gentler by donating the extras!
Kids’ Rooms
Purchase bed raisers for under-the-bed storage. Make sure they are sturdy and the bed can’t be knocked off the raisers during a game of hide and seek. You can also purchase under the bed drawers. You can store everything from shoes, laundry baskets, books and any bulky items that might otherwise clutter their room.
A Baby’s Closet
Is there room to add another bar? Take advantage of the fact that baby clothing is smaller and if you can, add an additional bar to hang the clothing to maximize space. You can purchase pre-made closet organizers that you can customize to make the most out of your baby’s closet.
Neatfreak Hanging Expandable Bar
The best trick to more space in your home is less is more! So if you find you have extra things lying around, throw a reverse housewarming party! You’ll be starting a new party trend. Set aside your unwanted items and instead of having your friends bring a housewarming gift, they are to pick one of your items and take it home with them. This is a great way to reunite with friends, find your unwanted things a good home, and de-clutter all at the same time!
Originally posted on porch.com
If you need help implementing these suggestions book a complimentary 30-minute virtual appointment.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Reading time – 2 minutes
Controlling the clutter at the entrance to your home can be a nightmare. With many people using the same area and all having different organizing styles clutter can develop. Together decide on what will be stored near the doorway and how it will be stored. When everyone knows the plan, everyone can participate in keeping the entranceway clutter-free.
1. A place for coats
Place hooks low enough that everyone can hang up his or her own coats, sweaters, and jackets.
2. A spot for bags and backpacks
Establish a space that can be reached without help for each person’s backpack or gym bag. This could be a shelf, cupboard or hook.
Organizing Backpacks
3. Use vertical space
Have enough space near the entrance for shoes that are used regularly. Buy stackable shoe racks and use vertical space efficiently. Footwear worn occasionally should be stored elsewhere and brought out as needed.
4. Use the inside of doors
Have a place for seasonal hats, gloves and scarves. A hanging shoe organizer is ideal for this purpose. Put regularly-worn hats, scarves and pairs of gloves into the pockets, where you can easily see each item and quickly select what you need. Storing hats, mitts and scarves directly with a jacket also helps to keep everything together. During the warmer months put sunscreen, insect repellent, sunglasses and hats in the pockets
Use a shoe organizer for hats baseball caps gloves sunglasses
5. Have a collection basket
Have a basket to collect mail, newspapers, and schoolwork as you come in the door. It will keep all the paperwork in one place and you can easily take the basket to your work area to sort it and deal with items quickly.
Samsill Pop,n Store Container
6. Collect garbage and recycling
Do you need a garbage can and recycling bin near the entranceway? Some people do and some people don’t. It helps to keep the area clean. Garbage from the car, a backpack, a gym bag or snacks can be easily tidied up and not left lying around. I saw this wastebasket with 4 compartments on one of my trips. 
7. Protect your personal property
It is tempting to store keys, phones and purses near the door. Don’t do it. Find a more secure location for those items so no one picks them up and walks away with them when you’re distracted.
8. Have multi-use furniture
It is nice to have a place a person can sit to put on their shoes or boots. Have a stool that also has storage space. It can be a good place to put a blanket for sitting outside when it gets cool, cushions for chairs, small toys for children or pet supplies.
Nebel Foldable 15″ Tufted Square Storage Ottoman
9. Re-purpose furniture
Add a deacon’s bench, buffet, or dresser that is sitting around your home. Place it by your entranceway to provide additional storage at no additional cost.
Mickelsen Entryway Hall Tree with Bench
Use verticle spaces in your entranceway to get more storage space. Share on X
10. Declutter often
Declutter your entranceway often. Place items back in their correct storage place, let go of items you no longer need, store off season items way from the entrance and remove garbage and recycling.
Book a virtual organizing appointment and work with Julie to get your entranceway working well for you. Click here for more information about Virtual organizing services
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
With more people working from home, it is a good time to look at your office design. When I started organizing in 2006 I learned about organizing efficient offices so you didn’t waste time away from your desk. Starting in 2014 new research was telling us to organize offices to help you be active. Stand up, sit less and move more. Share on X
Even the most well-designed office can make you feel chained to your desk. Make sure that you can get up and take a walk occasionally, or maybe move to a secondary location where you get a little work done without sitting in the same place all day.
Organize an Active Workstation
An active office has a standing area, sitting desk and whiteboard
Stand up Sit less Move more
An active office is defined “as a workplace design concept that proposes an integrated supportive environment, which aims at the reduction of sedentary behaviours and promotion of physically active work processes that are characterized by regular changes between different work-related tasks, workstations, and working postures.” Try adding to your traditional desk, elements such as active seats, standing desks, and whiteboards to help you get moving.
Products that make your office active
Use an exercise ball as your chair. You constantly contract and release muscle tension to help your balance. This muscle contraction helps you to be more active and less sedentary.
Invest in a sit stand desk. They are very economical and allow you to transition from sitting to standing as you change the type of work you are doing. It is the transition from sitting to standing and standing to sitting every 30 minutes that gives you the health benefits associated with an active office design.
Make a larger investment and buy a treadmill desk. It allows you to walk while working.
There are many more products you can use in your office.
Health benefits of an active office design
Studies are showing that it is transitioning from one position to another that is good for your health; it activates muscle contraction and circulation.
Studies suggest that transitions between sitting and standing be made every 30 minutes.
This is a link to a great article http://mi-lab.org/files/2012/02/ActiveOffice-final.pdf
If you need a virtual presentation on this topic for your staff that is working from home, contact me.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
These times of living with the pandemic have shown us that material possessions are not as important as we thought. Having lots of possessions is not creating happiness and contentment. It is a good time to examine what parts of your life bring you satisfaction while staying at home.
Routines
More time is being spent at home and fewer activities take you away from your house. Everyone can help with work around the house. Things can get done quickly if everyone knows the routines.
Meal preparation takes time and is a constant consideration. How have you handled this task?
Consider what will work for you:
- Giving everyone 1 meal/week to make. It doesn’t have to be complicated, older children can help younger children.
- Give everyone some responsibility for the meal – meal preparation, meal preparation assistant, cleaning up the food from the table, putting leftovers away, doing the dishes. Rotate the jobs each day or week.
Keeping the house clean with everyone home all day takes more time. Consider:
- A quick clean up after supper, tidying things up to their correct place, sweep/mop/vacuum the major travelled and used spaces.
- Set up a cleaning schedule so everyone has a job to do to get the home cleaned. Divide up dusting, washing floors, vacuuming, wiping down surfaces. Pick a day when it needs to be done and they can pick the best time to do it.
There may be less dirty clothing around the home since people are inside more and doing less. It is a good time to establish a laundry routine. Consider what is best for you:
- Doing one load a day
- Teaching everyone to do their own laundry
- Setting one day to do laundry
Now is a good time to evaluate what new routines are working well, which ones need to be revised and what needs to be established to keep the home working well. When the pandemic is over keep reinforcing the newly established routines for the new times ahead.
Possessions
Shopping is down, clothing store sales dropped 78.8%. Electronics and appliances declined by 60.6% furniture and home furnishing sales dropped by 58.7% and sporting goods by 38%. Source
Homes are filled with many things. This time is a good opportunity to explore some of the things you own and see if they add value to your life. It will help you know what you need and what you don’t need anymore.
Explore new activities to fill your time. Introduce health and wellness activities, learn new skills and participate in outdoor activities that can replace shopping. The pandemic is reinforcing that having an overabundance of stuff doesn’t bring contentment. It is possible to live without shopping. Think about how you will control what comes into your home after the pandemic is over. Do you have a new normal? What if everything you wanted isn't what you want now? Share on X
Priorities
I wasn’t sure what to call this section. It could be titled time management, relationships or activities. Before the pandemic would you focus on:
- meeting deadlines over playtime
- being perfect over enjoyment
- an advancement over vacation time
- answering text messages over your sanity
During the pandemic, it is possible to have time for things other than work. Learn how to balance all the priorities, relationships and activities you have experienced. Don’t let all this learning about the type of life you want to have to get swept out of your reach when life changes again after the pandemic is over.
Do you have a new normal?
What if everything you ever wanted isn’t what you actually want?
In 2010, Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus both abandoned the majority of their material possessions and created TheMinimalists.com. In 2011, they walked away from successful six-figure careers to live more intentionally. Then, in 2012, they moved to Montana and started writing a book Everything That Remains . Remember to minimize once you’re finished—pass it on, donate it, or sell it.
Minimalism is all about living with less. This includes fewer financial burdens such as debt and unnecessary expenses. … For many minimalists, the philosophy is about getting rid of excess stuff and living a life based on experiences rather than worldly possessions.
In the comments share what the pandemic has taught you.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She enjoys working with her clients to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She reduces clutter, streamlines processes and manages time to help her clients be more effective in reaching their goals. Julie can coach you to break-free of the physical or emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
With spring arriving people are beginning to think about cleaning and freshening up their homes. I enjoy organizing but cleaning? My guest blogger, Magda Rae, Editor-in-Chief of Vintage Cash Cow, loves cleaning and is here to help us get a fresh start.
Due to the self-isolation protocols necessitated by the COVID-19 coronavirus, millions of people are spending more time at home than they are used to. Some have enjoyed the freedom and an opportunity to relax, while others are quickly becoming restless and are looking to stay productive.
If you are searching for a way to escape the frustration of quarantine and keep busy amid the pandemic, cleaning your home could provide the perfect solution. A good spring clean will give you a great feeling of accomplishment, while also helping your family to stay safe at a time when hygiene has become crucial! Cleaning even has plenty of proven benefits for your general health, which is important when you need to keep your immune system healthy. Here is how to get stuck in and perform the home deep-clean of a lifetime.
The Health Benefits of Cleaning
Photo by Samantha Gades, Unsplash
Interestingly, spring cleaning also has several science-backed benefits for your mental and physical well being. According to a Scottish health survey, the practice can reduce stress and anxiety by up to 20%, as long as you spend at least 20 minutes cleaning. Clutter can also add to your stress and lower work productivity, but science says that a clean and neat desk can actually make you more productive in the long run.
Dust and pet dander can aggravate allergies and hay fever, but cleaning can help to reduce symptoms of asthma and chest tightness. A study from the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin has also revealed that cleaning your home can improve your mood and even alleviate some of the symptoms of depression. Clearly, now is an excellent time to get out the scrubbing brush and the vacuum cleaner.Cleaning your home can improve your mood and even alleviate some of the symptoms of depression. Share on X
Taking Advantage of the Extra Time
Photo by Volha Flaxeco, Unsplash
The current pandemic has presented the perfect conditions for a proper deep cleaning of your home. Many of us are now in unique positions where we have far fewer daily obligations to worry about than usual. This means that you can really get stuck in, move furniture around, and spread out as you clean. Now is the perfect time to get stuck into those jobs that you have been putting off for years!
You can begin by sweeping your walkways, patio, exterior windows, light fittings and patio furniture. From there, you can move on to washing the interior windows of your home, cleaning out cupboards and pantries, and deep-cleaning appliances and sinks. These are all easy tasks that you could rope your children into to keep them busy as well.
Making a List
Photo by Andy Fitzsimon, Unsplash
If you are feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of cleaning, why not make a list for yourself? Write down a wishlist of all the things you would like to clean and tidy up, starting with those tasks that are a top priority for you. Many experts find that cleaning bit by bit is more effective than doing the whole house at once. Take your time, and begin with the rooms or areas of your home that need the most attention.
You could also devise a calendar for cleaning to help keep your routine organized. For example, Mondays could be bathroom cleaning days, Wednesdays could be dedicated to vacuuming, and Saturdays could be laundry days. This is a fantastic way to incentivize children to chip in with the cleaning too. If they do all of the weekly chores on the calendar you set out for them, you could offer them a treat or extend their leisure time as a reward. There is no better time to teach your children about the value of teamwork and cleanliness, so we recommend making the most of it.
Take Inspiration from Marie Kondo
Photo by Nathan Fertig, Unsplash
Is your home feeling unnecessarily cluttered? Perhaps it’s time to assess whether or not your possessions are functional, useful, or bring you joy. Marie Kondo’s famous technique includes picking up an item and deciding whether or not having it in your life brings you happiness. If not, put it aside to sell, donate to charity, or pass it on to someone who will appreciate it. You may well find that if you sell your unwanted vintage jewelry, appliances, books and other items that you no longer use, you’ll pocket a sizable sum of money.
Again, you can also get your kids involved in this process. Many people think that children would want to hold onto everything they own, but Marie Kondo says that this simply isn’t the case a lot of the time. Remember, things don’t have to be in poor condition for you to pass them along to a new home. Charity stores are always grateful for goods in near-new condition!
Keep Cleaning Fun
Cleaning can be a fantastic escape, especially during lockdown. However, for some, this can be an arduous task – so make it fun! Put on your favorite music, rope in your family, and dance or sing as you work. Remember not to work yourself too hard, and to take regular breaks as you see fit.
You can also take before and after photographs of your efforts to incentivize yourself and show off on social media. Some people have even taken to making TikToks of their cleaning work to show the world just how powerful a deep clean can be!
A Good Way to Get Through Tough Times
No matter what your approach may be, the trick to enjoying cleaning and using it as an escape is to make it an enjoyable and rewarding activity that you can look back on with pride.
Need help with your cleaning and organizing project? Book a 30-minute complimentary virtual organizing assessment. https://mindoverclutter.as.me/virtualorganizingassessment
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She enjoys working with her clients to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She reduces clutter, streamlines processes and manages time to help her clients be more effective in reaching their goals. Julie can coach you to break-free of the physical or emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Book a virtual appointment
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She enjoys working with her clients to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She reduces clutter, streamlines processes and manages time to help her clients be more effective in reaching their goals. Julie can coach you to break-free of the physical or emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Most people need more sleep than they realize
Some people say they don’t need very much sleep. Recently a super sleep gene was found. Only about 5% of people have it. It allows their body to cycle through the REM and non REM sleep cycles more quickly so the person feels more rested in a shorter amount of time. Unfortunately, about 30% of people report only needing 4 hours of sleep a night. So about 25% of those people would benefit from more sleep. Harold Taylor is a time management expert. He publishes a newsletter, Taylor Time Newsletter. The August edition has a great article on sleep and time management.
by Harold Taylor Work Smarter is more about Timing then Technology
What are sleep cycles?
When we sleep, we do so in approximately 90-minute cycles throughout the night, each cycle consisting of five stages – four stages of non-REM sleep (about 75% to 80% of our sleep time) and one stage of REM sleep (about 20% to 25% of our sleep time.)
The first REM stage begins about 90 minutes into our sleep and then the cycle begins again about every 90 minutes until we wake up.
Scheduling your worktime and projects
What most people don’t realize is that these 90-minute “sleep cycles” run through the entire day. We obviously don’t sleep during the day if we have slept sufficiently during the night, but the cycles become waves of high and low energy and are referred to as ultradian rhythms. Our internal clocks are critical to our personal performance as well as our health and well-being. Our body has many internal “clocks,” each operating independently but in constant communication with one another.
In a few of my books and articles and all of my seminars, I talk about scheduling projects in 90-minute segments.I recommend that people find their high energy time in the morning and start working on their top priority items for about 90 minutes Share on X
I have always known that I was more productive working in sixty or ninety-minute chunks of time, and I suggested all kinds of reasons for it – such as it was the maximum amount of time I could work without having to be interrupted or even interrupting myself. But I never knew until recently that ultradian waves of high and low alertness had actually been identified. One study of young violinists back in 1993 revealed that the best violinists all practiced the same way – in the morning in three segments of no more than 90 minutes with a break between each segment. The same thing was noticed among other musicians as well as athletes, chess players and writers.
I recommend that people find their high energy time in the morning and start working on their top priority items for about 90 minutes. Then take a break of about 15 or 20 minutes before starting the next task. Following the second 90-minute work session there should be a break of at least an hour before resuming. (This could be lunch and a brief walk.) It will take time to get into the right pattern. You have to listen to your body to determine the best start time and the actual duration of your high-alertness cycle.
Breaks are important too
You don’t necessarily have to take a coffee break, go for a walk or do stretches during your breaks as long as you switch to a different type of task. There are three basic types of activity – mental, physical and emotional. If you have been working on a mental task requiring intense concentration such as writing a business proposal, a switch to cleaning your work area, filing or checking messages on Twitter or Facebook for twenty minutes might be just as relaxing to the mind as a twenty-minute chat at the coffee center.
Use your natural body rhythms to be more efficient
The problem is that people have been fighting their natural body rhythms by feeding it coffee and other stimulants and therefore developing inefficient working habits. They have likewise short-circuited their natural sleep cycles with late nights, artificial lighting and stimulating electronics.
Contact www.taylorintime.com to subscribe to his newsletter
Virtual organizing allows me to support your organizing projects by providing planning, coaching and mentoring while both remaining safely at home.
Book a 30 minute complimentary virtual organizing assessment to help develop your productivity. https://mindoverclutter.as.me/virtualorganizingassessment
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
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Psychological properties of colours
Before applying a colour-coded system to the office, learn the meaning behind popular colours to help dictate which hues to use and when.
- Red: Associated with energy and power, red is an intense colour. Since it quickly grabs the eye, use it to alert coworkers of something urgent.
- Orange: Less aggressive than red, orange is still an eye-catching, dominating colour. A hue closer to the shade of gold can mean luxury, wisdom, or wealth. Use it to label new or long-term projects that focus on the future or improving your business.
- Yellow: Also a great attention grabber, yellow signifies happiness, hope, and positivity and is commonly used for important items that cannot be ignored. Use it for production tasks or to communicate new ideas.
- Green: A symbol of growth and fertility, green symbolizes stability and healing power. Use it for financial tasks and environmental initiatives.
- Blue: As a calming colour, blue represents loyalty, intelligence, and focus. It’s also a trusting colour. Use it for brainstorming, presenting, and networking.
- Purple: A combination of blue and red, purple is a creative colour that symbolizes royalty and luxury. It’s great for creative tasks.
- Pink: A playful colour, pink is full of compassion. It’s a loving, intimate, and feminine colour. Save it for personal labels and special occasions.
- White: Associated with purity, white signifies success and perfection. Use it to signify simplicity and cleanliness.
- Black: A formal colour, black can be prestigious or authoritative. Use it to make other colours stand out and for formal events.
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Organizing files by colour
When it’s necessary to save every piece of paper that touches your desk, it can be easy to misplace important information in a pile of white. To file papers you may need to reference later, create a color-coded system with folders.
Divide documents into categories—invoices, tax documents, office guidelines, etc.—and choose a colour to represent each category. Use folders or tabs in each designated colour to organize the categories. For file cabinets, choose an assortment of colored hanging folders, which are sturdy enough to hold most documents.
When passing documents between teams, it’s a good idea to assign colours to departments or tasks. Colored file folders help distinguish which documents need to head to the HR department or be reviewed by the financial team. If using plain manila folders, stick colored labels or tabs on each folder.
Multiple projects can be assigned a colour and organized in three-ring binders. Maintain the colour-coded system inside the binder to separate budget and creative documents.
If it’s time to archive documents, use storage bins in the colour-coded system to quickly identify what is inside.Colour psychology is the study of hues to determine the effects on human behaviour. It can be applied to many things in life like office organizing and productivity. Share on X
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Colour code your calendar
A calendar filled with back-to-back meetings can be overwhelming and ineffective. Ease the stress by assigning colors to events—both work and personal—to get a better understanding of your day-to-day activities. Visualizing the events can help control how much time you allocate to each activity or project.
To categorize meetings, choose colors based on their psychological properties. Most calendar apps allow users to assign colours, but if you prefer traditional day planners, use sticky notes or coloured pencils to categorize.
- Red: Wednesday 11 a.m.—” Final Spreadsheet due”
- Blue: Tuesday 3 p.m. — “Brainstorm Session w/ PR”
- Green: Thursday 10 a.m. — “Budget Meeting”
- Yellow: Tuesday 9 a.m. — “Credit Card Bill Due” Wednesday 1 p.m. — “Order File Folders”
- Purple: Monday 2 p.m. — “Present Sales Pitch” Thursday 1 p.m. — “Review Mock-Ups”
- Pink: Friday 5 p.m. — “Happy Hour”
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Take notes in colour
Writing notes on paper is a great concept—until those notes get lost among other notes and are never read again. Take the colour-coded calendar a step further by using the same coloured pen to take notes. Colour coding can also stimulate different parts of your brain and allow you to see connections previously overlooked.
In a budget meeting? Use a green pen to jot down notes. If a creative idea comes to mind that you don’t want to forget to bring up during a weekly brainstorming, use purple. When you flip back through your note pages, the system will allow you to quickly find what you’re looking for. But avoid too much color—if everything is highlighted, it’s difficult to tell what takes priority.
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Colour code your inbox
If hundreds of unread emails leave you overwhelmed, assign colors to senders or subjects to quickly identify what needs attention. Many email systems have settings to adjust how emails are displayed in your inbox. Assign automatic colours to specific people, such as your manager, so those emails will stand out.
Messages can also be coded by subject line. If you’re working on a specific project, assigning that project name a colour will separate it from everyday emails.
Conclusion
Colour coding is meant to make your work life easier. Assign colours before you start a new project and limit the amount to avoid confusion. You shouldn’t have to spend time deciphering your colour code!
How do you use colour coding to keep yourself organized?
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices coaching you virtually using Zoom. She enjoys working with her clients to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She reduces clutter, streamlines processes and manages time to help her clients be more effective in reaching their goals. Julie can coach you to break-free of the physical or emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
No matter how beautiful and organized your laundry area looks, if you don’t have a routine for getting laundry to the washer, into the dry and back to bedrooms you will still have a problem. These tips will help you establish a routine that will work in your household.
Collect the laundry
1. Keep a central collection area for your laundry close to where people change. The main bathroom, near the bedrooms, is often a good choice. Keep three hampers – one each for light, medium and dark-coloured clothing. Make sure everyone knows to empty pockets, because no one else is going to check. You may prefer to have each person have their own bin in their room.
Have everyone in the family sort their laundry and put it in the hamper.
2. Keep a stain remover nearby so that everyone can treat the stains on their own clothing. Children may need help with the most difficult, like blood. Use shampoo without conditioner on grease stains. Once stains are treated, fold the clothing to prevent stain remover from touching the hamper. Remember to place clothing in the correct laundry hamper.
Schedule time
3. Establish a day when the laundry will be washed. Clothing will need to be in the hamper and someone will bring it to the laundry room. You may need to establish a day or time for each member to do their own laundry.
Set timers
4. As you’re placing clothing into the washer or dryer set a time on your phone, stove, clock so you remember to switch the clothing to the dryer or take it out of the dryer. It is easy to forget that the washer or dryer has completed the cycle if it isn’t near where you are working. Then time passes and you didn’t get much laundry done that day, the clothing in the dryer is very wrinkled or the damp clothing has an unpleasant oder.Setting up routines makes it easier to accomplish tasks taking less energy and time to complete them Share on X
Organize an area
5. Have a table or space available so you can fold and pile items as they are removed from the dryer. Making piles of clothing allows people to come and pick up their clothes and put them away. If you have small children in the home place their piles of clothing on their bed, pants, tops, underware, socks etc and help them to learn to put it away in the correct spot. It is a skill that will last them a life time.
6. Have a place to hang up clothes – a line, door hooks or a free-standing wire rack. Don’t spend your time folding clothes that get unfolded once they reach the bedroom. Hang them up straight out of the dryer.
7. Establish a laundry supply shelf or cupboard. Be sure to have a variety of supplies available so you can easily handle any stain – detergent, bleach, shampoo, stain remover, a bar of laundry soap – and quick hand-washing items. Include a basin so you can conveniently soak or hand wash items.
For tips and articles to help you organize your mind and space join Julie’s Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She enjoys working with her clients to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She reduces clutter, streamlines processes and manages time to help her clients be more effective in reaching their goals. Julie can coach you to break-free of the physical or emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
