Decluttering bad habits
When we think of bad habits we might think of biting our nails or smoking, but a habit is any regular tendency to do something, especially something that’s difficult to give up. It’s often a behaviour that has become engrained, we don’t even realise we’re doing it, or think that there could be another way. In this blog for Spring Clearing Week, Lesley Naylor of Clutter Therapy gives us some ideas on how to change old habits, look at how we organise things and realise that change is good and possible.Hall Habits
The hall is the first thing you see when you get home. If you don’t have a hall as such then it’s wherever you hang your coats, kick off your shoes and throw your bags. For a lot of my clients this is a real problem area. They walk into their house and are straight away confronted by clutter. What a welcome! But rest assured, it's often just habit. You wear a coat or jacket, then leave it in the hall. You use a bag, then leave it in the hall... and the same goes with shoes and post! But we’ll come to that later.
My first tip would be to sit and think: what is it used for and what do you need? If you have space, I suggest a cupboard. One of my clients has a cupboard with hanging space and shelves which are used to store the ironing, because that’s what makes sense to her. Bars or shelves can be fitted at the bottom for shoes. Hooks for school bags or shopping bags can also be a good addition.
In a smaller space, coat hooks, with a shelf above, also work well. You can place small baskets on top for keys, gloves or hats. This also keeps keys out of sight of windows or the door. Limit the number of coats per person, as this easily gets out of hand. Have a day each week when the coats are cleared and hung back in the wardrobes. This also helps the coats and jackets keep their shape.
Shoes are often stored in the hall and there are many different styles of storage available. My old friend Google can help here. These can look very attractive and keep shoes tidy, but again once each week declutter and store surplus shoes upstairs.
Drawers are great for scarves. Fold scarves and store them so that you can see them all at first glance. It’s like a filing system. It’s important to make the space work and look inviting for you and your guests!
Postal habits
Let’s face it, life is busy but turning your back on the post can be like turning your back on the ocean - it catches you out! Piles of paper come into our homes every week through the letterbox, in children’s school bags or home from work. It’s so easy to get into bad habits of “I’ll open it laterâ€