We have probably all done, or at least started, our spring-cleaning by now. And since I’ve just moved into a new apartment, I am in ultra-organizing mode, trying to find a balance between my desire to be a minimalist with a sleek, well-decorated home, and my desire for a home with a comfortable lived-in feel. I’ve started trying to find that balance by eliminating clutter. Which is really something we should all be doing.
Psychologist Sherrie Bourg Carter, author of High Octane Women: How Superachievers Can Avoid Burnout, explains eight reasons why we should de-clutter and how, by doing so, we can reduce our stress levels. She says that “clutter bombards our minds with excessive stimuli” making it difficult to focus, and it can often “create feelings of guilt (“I should be more organized”) and embarrassment.” Bombarded mind? Guilt? Embarrassment? Forget that! I’m cleaning up!
Now, as great as it sounds to just get rid of excess stuff, there is always going to be stuff that we do need, but don’t know exactly how to organize. I faced that situation when organizing my workspace in my new apartment. I have a clear plastic desk organizer that I’ve had since my college dorm days—it’s cheap and effective, but boy is it ugly! It serves its purpose and gives me a place to store pens, paperclips, staples, stamps, etc., but I can’t stand seeing all that clutter through the clear, plastic drawers. So, I figured hiding the clutter is just as good as getting rid of it, right?
Here’s what I did to help de-clutter the look of my workspace, and what you can do to any clear storage containers you may have:
1. I went to my local craft store with the intention of getting a pretty, neutral colored piece of scrapbook paper, but ended up finding this awesome cork paper with adhesive on one side. I purchased just one sheet for about $1.50. (Hey, big spender!)
2. I measured the front face of each drawer, and then carefully cut the cork paper to size.
3. Finally, I peeled off the adhesive back and stuck the paper, adhesive side facing forward, to the inside of each drawer and voila!
My necessary clutter is now hidden, meaning fewer distractions when I sit down to work, and my cheap storage container looks just a little classier. Happy cleaning, all!
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[...] couple of weeks ago, I shared my tip for easily organizing your workspace. Well, I am still trying to make my home as tidy as possible and eliminate unnecessary clutter, so [...]