The clutter in your home or office affects more than just your belongings.  It robs you of your time, your mental health and your money.  But never fear, there are bright, shiny rewards in store for all your organizing hard work.

Less Time Spent Looking for Items

Have you ever actually timed how long it takes you to find your keys or cell phone on your way out the door?  Or your remote when you want to relax and watch TV?  Getting organized is more than matching boxes with labels.  It starts by giving items a home and returning those items to their homes when you’re finished using them.  In his book, When the Game is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box, John Ortberg states that American’s spend 16 minutes a day looking for lost things.  That equals nearly one year of your life!  It’s time to dedicate those 16 minutes to something you want to do like a hobby or spending time with your loved ones.

Less Stress

Are the piles on your kitchen counter or dining room table impacting more than just the space they take up?  Experts agree that clutter has a significant impact on your mental health.   A 2012 article by psychologist Sherrie Bourg Carter in Psychology Todaydiscusses the mental cost of clutter.   Dr. Carter states stress occurs because the excess stimulus (clutter) causes your senses to work overtime.  Additionally, you may experience feelings of guilt or embarrassment when friends or family members are in your home, frustration finding items that you know you’ve purchased and general anxiety from piles or bins that indicate work to do or work that’s been avoided.  The good news is you can change this and you will feel a marked improvement in your mental health when you start the process of clearing the clutter and arranging your life.

Less Money Spent on Replacements or Late Fees

How much is your clutter costing you financially?  Whether it’s clutter on your schedule or physical items in your home, disorganization can take a toll on your bank account.  There’s the cost of late fees for missed payments, storage facilities to store things you don’t have room for or replacing items you know you own but cannot find.  Clutter can also cost you if you consistently run late for work or missing appointments because you cannot find things or need to work on managing your time.  Little by little, the more you can address your clutter and take back control of your house and finances, the less your disorganized lifestyle will cost you. 

You may think you don’t have the time or money to get organized but do you really have the time or money not to?  Reward yourself today with less stress and more down time by sliding down your clutter rainbow into a pot of organizing gold.  If it’s too overwhelming to do yourself, check out the fantastic organizing leprechauns of NAPO Ohio who can help you on your way.