So, it’s April. Spring should have been in the air but here we are with prime sledding conditions. That’s one benefit to our stay-inside mandate; outside isn’t very pleasant right now anyways. As someone who’s used to spending a lot of time at home, this situation is not a huge adjustment for me. For the extroverts I know I imagine this predicament is going to spark some Shining-level cabin fever, and I wish them luck. Not to mention the many people that are unable to complete their work at home to the same level they would have at the office or the school, or who feel drained and dwindling because they’ve been unable to burn energy at the gym like normal. For those that are experiencing more pressure and discomfort now that they’re confined to their home, I’ve jotted down some small organizational changes I found made my space feel neater and made me feel more motivated to keep it that way.
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Consider a new matching toothbrush holder and soap dish set. Changing just a couple bathroom accessories has had my counters tidier than ever in an effort to not waste the money I spent on them by keeping the space around them clean, plus they pull the room together.
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Get fake plants. As someone that loves the plant aesthetic but has zero ability to keep them alive, fake plants are a concession I’ve been happy to make to brighten and add more colour to my space with minimum effort.
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DIY or purchase a combination mail organizer and key hanger. I have them separate as of now and having a mail organizer taking up space on the table I just cleaned all my mail off of seems to defeat the purpose. Why not utilize some perfectly good wall space?
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Fold and wrap your miscellaneous cords in elastic bands when you store them. It’s a small, nitpicky detail but the headache it will save you when you look for a replacement charger will be worth it, trust me.
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Utilize rearrangeable shelving to fill up floor space in your closet for additional storage. Between my boyfriend’s and my clothes, our two closets and dresser still don’t have room for everything, so I added 3 buildable shelving cubes for my extra items.
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Roll your underwear and keep those and your socks in baskets in your drawer, and add one for bras and other undergarments if you have space as well. It looks so much neater than a sea of unmentionables scattered into all four corners of a drawer and will save you time when you’re looking for something specific.
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Use an under-the-bed shoe organizer to store those special occassion or seasonal pairs you just don’t use all that often and everyone’s sick of tripping over.
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If you’re running out of counter space, try using a TV tray or extra storage unit to hold your toaster or microwave.
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Store your pantry items in reusable containers. I can’t explain it, but there’s something so satisfying about knowing all that packaging has already been taken care of and seeing your ingredients organized and on display, ready to use.
Also things I’ve found beneficial: a few quick small tasks to change your space for the better when you need to get some work done.
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Make your bed. This is a task I resisted most of my life (probably because my Mom insisted on it so much). Now, I see the impact of fixing the most obvious mess in the bedroom, and it looks so much more inviting when you crawl back in later. Same goes for your couch- fold your blankets, arrange your pillows, you know the drill.
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Wash your baseboards. I know I’m guilty of not always giving them enough attention, and a quick wipe creates the kind of cleanliness you feel more than see, and it feels like one less item on that cleaning list you know you’ll get to one day, hopefully relieving some stress as well.
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If you can’t do the dishes and they’re looming over your mind, quickly rinse and organize them so they look less daunting and there’s a little less to do later.
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Light a candle. After I’ve done the little things to make my space seem neater and I’m ready to sit down and work, I find a scent refresh helps reset my feelings about the space.