5 Ways Getting Organized is a Form of Self Care

Many times, when we think about self care, we think about bubble baths, massages and even time to sit down and read a book. But thinking truly about what it means to practice self care, we need to consider other activities as well, like organizing.

Self care is defined as the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s health.

Getting your home and life organized is one way to preserve and improve your health.  Below I have 5 ways getting organized is a form of self care.

1. Improve Your Mental Health by Organizing Your Space and Time

One big reason people decide to get organized is to improve their mental health.

Outer order contributes to inner calm.

I love this quote by Gretchen Rubin because it is so true. When your home is disorganized, all you see around you is clutter. This then clutters up your mind and doesn’t help your mental health. When my own home is disorganized, my stress level rises and I feel out of control.

When your physical space is organized, you don’t feel stressed coming into your house. You can have a sense of calm walking through your front door. When you have these feelings coming into your home, you keep your home from contributing to your stress.

In the same way, when your calendar is organized, you can reduce the stress that comes from not knowing what is coming next. Each week, I make sure to take the time to organize my calendar so I know what is coming that week, have goals to strive towards and have everything in place. I make sure that I have childcare, meals planned and time to take care of myself. Yes, make sure you have those activities on your calendar that help you feel your best – my main two are workouts on my calendar and meals planned out. Plus, I have my evening routine on every night in my calendar which involves a bath and either reading a book or watching a show.

2. Give Back Time to Your Future Self by Getting Organized

Many times, self care is helping take care of your future self. When I realize I need to take some time for self care, it’s normally when I start to feel stressed. I try to take the time then before my anxiety increases more and I really need a break.

Getting organized is a way to give back time to your future self. When your space is organized, you spend less time looking for things or cleaning up the clutter. Everything is in it’s place and you don’t spend extra time on tasks that shouldn’t take you that long. You know exactly where dishes go when you unload the dishwasher (and you even enjoy how your cabinets look). You know where your keys are when it’s time to leave the house. You spend less time looking for these things and save yourself time.

Another way to get organized is within your calendar. I time block my days so I know what to do when the time comes. Some days, I am home with my baby and only have nap times to get things done. When she goes down for her nap, I have on my calendar exactly what I need to be working on. I don’t waste time trying to figure out what do.

And when she goes down, I don’t waste time figuring out what to have for lunch. I have already prepped my lunch so I can use every minute of her nap time for work, home tasks or to eat lunch without distractions. I plan out what I want this time to look like so I don’t spend 30 minutes deciding what to have for lunch and to waste that time. I also don’t spend nap time mindlessly scrolling instagram. Sometimes, I plan to scroll and set a time limit for it, but my goal is not to mindlessly scroll and spend nap time doing something I hadn’t planned on.

Once you have this extra time, you can do an activity you enjoy – thinking about those activities that promote emotional well being in your life. This is different for everyone. This can be as simple as a few minute to read a book to getting a massage. Try to make time for self care activities throughout the week. And if you feel like you don’t have time, I challenge you to look at how you’re spending your time and looking for those moments that you are wasting time by not being organized.

3. Use Your Time to Get Organized as a Self Care Activity

I love organizing. I find it relaxing to find a new way to organize a space and make it functional. It is definitely a form of self care for me as an activity on it’s own. But I know not everyone feels that way. So, then you need to reframe the time. This is what I have done with folding laundry.

I am someone who does not like folding and putting away laundry. I have no issue putting it in the washer and dryer (that part is easy for me), but the folding and putting away can take forever if I let it. I will leave clothes in the dryer for as long as I can (which is not as long as it used to be with three kids in the house).

How do I reframe this time into a positive experience? I put on a show I enjoy. If it’s on the weekend, I put my partner on the children and I go in my room and watch my show and fold laundry. I even put a show on my iPad or phone so I can bring it with me when I put the clothes away. This has now turned laundry into a self care practice. I get to take a moment for myself while doing a chore I don’t enjoy. Plus, future me is always happy I put the laundry in the closet right away rather than waiting until later, when I really don’t want to do it.

How could this work for organizing? The same way. You put on a show or podcast or music you love. And then, if you want to turn it into a mindless task, have Wildely Organized create a blueprint for your space and all you have to do is follow the directions and put everything in place! You get a moment and create an environment in your home that reduces clutter and creates systems your family can follow.

Want to learn more about our DIY services? Click below to learn more.

4. Getting Organized Saves You Money

Right now, at the end of the summer of 2022, grocery prices are going up. I was just looking at our finances for the summer and realized we are now spending more on groceries. However, we are not spending too much. I have two ways of being organized that help us save money on groceries.

The first is our organized pantry and fridge. I know exactly what we have and make sure nothing expires. I only buy what we need and only stock up on items I know we use. For our family, that is only a few items. I don’t like to stock up on too much because we may not always use them.

The other way I save money is meal planning. I create a meal plan for each week (and I’m trying out doing it at the beginning of the month to save time). With each meal plan, I create a grocery list and only buy what is on that list. I create the lists for my kid’s lunches and snack each week so I don’t overbuy. Sometimes, we have extra snacks and that just means those will be available for next week. I make sure to use what we have and save money by only buying what we need. I also use grocery delivery and pickup which is a huge time and money saver! I no longer spend time in the grocery store (not my favorite) and I reduce my impulse buys by not being in the grocery store!

Also, when I meal plan, I eat out less. This saves us money because I buy what I need and use what I buy. When I used to not meal plan and put it on the calendar, I wouldn’t have what I needed and we would default to ordering food or going out to dinner. Now, if we decide to order dinner one night, I know the next night we will eat the meal I have planned.

Now that you’ve saved yourself money, you can use that for other things. Either paying down debt, paying for another form of self care you enjoy (like a manicure or a trip) or even just adding to savings and improving your financial situation. Find a solution for your saved money that decreases your stress and promotes happiness in your life!

5. Being Organized Has a Positive Impact on Your Life and Home (and the People Around You)

When we participate in self care activities, we become the best version of ourselves. We preserve and improve our physical and emotional health.

This creates a ripple effect in our homes. When our home is organized, we are more likely to be in a healthy space because our home is not contributing to our stress. When we are in a healthy space, we can give more of ourselves to those around us.

When my home and life are organized, I am more patient with my children and husband. I can handle changes in my schedule easily. I am able to shift things around and make them work rather than assuming everything is ruined (which is what happens when I’m not in a good emotional place). Time blocking on my schedule allows me to move blocks around when a child gets sick and I need to be home that day. Then, when that child is sick and I can’t get everything put away as easily, it doesn’t take long to unload the dishwasher quickly while he takes a nap. Or, my partner can do it when he gets home. Everything has a place and everyone knows where it goes.

Now that you know how getting organized is a form of self care, let us help you on your journey. Using our DIY blueprint is a great way to get your space organized and let us do the thinking for you. You end up with an organized space without the large price tag of having our team come in and organize for you. Plus, you can make your organizing time into a self care activity where you end up with a beautiful, functional space that improves your home and your life. Want to learn more? Click below to see what our DIY services are like and how they can help you reach your organization goals.