12 | LIFE IN SOLERA | MAY 2023 |
Studies show that a cluttered environment can cause anxiety,
physiological distress, and even a state of depression. "There's a
powerful connection between physical tidiness and mental tidiness,"
says Tyler Moore, a father of three, New York City educator, and
founder of the home organization and cleaning supersite, Tidy Dad.
"Oftentimes the state of our home is a physical manifestation of the
clutter that we feel in our brains," he says.
Moore has helped countless people manage their cleaning and
organizing needs, and he says tackling one's spring cleaning goals
doesn't have to be overwhelming. "I strongly recommend starting
with a small space such as your personal closet," he says.
After applying the first three of the following tips to one space
of your home, repeat until every room or area is organized to your
satisfaction. Then, follow the last two tips to keep things that way.
Gather everything into one place. When organizing a space, it's
important to gather all clutter and items into the same place. "It's
easier to determine what to keep and what to discard if all items are
in a central location together," says Moore. From there, sorting things
into individual categories becomes essential.
Spend time with the items. Once everything is gathered together
and categorized, you're ready to begin the process of editing.
"Editing," as Moore calls it, is the task of deciding which items to keep
("Choose the items you want to bring into your future," he says), and
which ones need to be donated or thrown away. Moore says editing
is "a deeply emotional process" because people have meaningful
attachments to many of the things they own.
Give everything a home. One of the most vital steps of cleaning
and organizing is for everything you decide to keep to have a specific
place to go. "It's important that systems are logical and that items are
stored in the locations where they are frequently used," says Moore.
(Sources: Homes and Gardens; Mayo Clinic)
A Tidy Home is a Happier Home
By Diana Mangan, Realtor and Resident
