I need some help when it comes to clearing out, organising and sorting my stuff.

My house is basically full of stuff and things right now and I really don’t think it’s helping me out with my health (mental or physical)

I mostly suffer with getting hopelessly distracted, mess blindness, never wanting to get started, and getting overwhelmed with the scope of the task.

One of the reasons I want to get tidied up is because my main hobbies (electronics, drones, and DIY) mean that I’ve got tons of stuff I need to keep around, but it’s also lots of small stuff with lots of different categories and storage requirements so it’s really not easy to sort without needing tons of boxes or bins so I still haven’t been able to find a good way to store it.

I also don’t have much out-of-sight storage in my flat so it’s kind of everywhere.

Any tips on storing and sorting would be massively appreciated especially from people who have been through this already and have/are working towards getting clean!

Thanks!

  • @girlEnglish
    5•6 months ago

    I went from living in true squalor to having a mostly clean apartment, with a couple corners of mess. It took a year or two for the habits to stick and I still slip up when life gets hard, but I’m very happy with the progress I’ve made.

    The answer for me was to get lots of bins/boxes, and tall bookshelves I could keep them on. I have several bookshelves, about half filled with books and half storage. I think I have ~20 different bins, stashed in cabinets under counters, in closets, on bookshelves, and several baskets for tables/counter tops.

    It does take some looping around, it is a long process when you first start. But each time you cycle through you’ll be a little bit closer to your goal, so it takes a mindset of “it doesnt need to be perfect or finished today, just better.” I underestimated the number of bins/baskets I would need at first, and actually I still need more lol.

    Give yourself some grace and understanding, if it’s a priority to you, you can do it! A mindset that helped me shift out of “ugh this is so boring and time consuming, why am I doing this” was to consider it self-care. Having an organized and clean home really helps my mental health. I didnt realize the extent of the low-key shame I felt every time I came home and saw so much clutter/mess. Instead, I see my carpets and mostly clear tables/counters and feel proud of myself, even when it isnt perfect.