I don’t know about you, but when my home becomes cluttered and chaotic, I quickly feel out of sorts. The condition of my living space affects my mood, focus, and productivity.
Do you notice the same thing when clutter builds up?
Because clutter has a big effect on me, daily routines are essential. There are busy seasons when keeping order feels especially hard, and ironically, the busier life gets the more important it is to stick with simple daily habits.
So where do we begin to form new habits?
Below is a 30-day habit plan I developed to reduce clutter and stress at home. It’s straightforward and has helped me regain calm and control. Hopefully it will help you too.
Ready?
It is as easy as:
1. Find four indoor clutter hotspots.
Start by identifying where most of your daily clutter accumulates. Pick four specific surfaces or areas rather than entire rooms — places that consistently frustrate you. Examples include kitchen or bathroom counters, the dining table, the floor by the front door, laundry baskets, or a bedside table. If one room is especially troublesome, choose four manageable spots within it, like a shelf, a drawer, a countertop, and a basket.
2. Select one outdoor or mobile hotspot.
Next, name one area outside the house or on the move that causes you stress—your purse, car, entryway, or front porch, for example. Choose the one that bothers you the most now. You’ll address other spots later.
Now you should have your top five clutter hotspots. Great—now you know where to focus.
Doesn’t it feel better to narrow down the main trouble spots?
You can do this—one step at a time.
REMEMBER: Don’t try to solve every clutter problem at once. Focus on these five areas so change feels manageable.
3. Create five simple daily habits tied to your hotspots.
With your five hotspots identified, create a short daily routine for each one. These small, consistent actions keep clutter from building back up.
Look at each problem area and decide on one quick habit that will prevent clutter from returning. Here are examples you might adapt:
See how simple this can be? Small, consistent actions are much easier to keep than sweeping overhauls.
Keep in mind it takes roughly 30 days to establish a new habit. Commit to a month and you’ll likely find these routines sink in and become automatic.
- Start with a few steps: find hotspots, pick habits, repeat daily.
- Stick to the plan for 30 days and you’ll build momentum.
Photos: from my home and a visit to the Street of Dreams in 2009
Interested in more ideas? Check out my books for additional inspiration.
Related posts:
How I Keep My House Clean with 4 Daily Routines
Speed Cleaning: Tips for More Efficient Housekeeping
The Cleaning Frenzy: 15 Minutes to a Tidier House