BELTON, Texas — We're well into 2020, but if one of your resolutions was getting rid of clutter, you're in luck.
In this edition of Your Best Life, I worked with a professional organizer at my own home to learn why clutter can cause stress and how you can tackle the clutter at your house
Fifteen years ago, Lita Daniel was hooked on HGTV shows about clutter and hoarding when she decided to make a career change.
"I said to myself, 'Wow, I think I would love to do that,'" Daniel said.
When her husband started to work at Fort Hood, Daniel went to school to become a professional organizer. She got her training in Salt Lake City with a nationally recognized company. She then joined NAPO, the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals, and then opened her own business called, "Regain Your Space."
"I was at a stage in my life that I said, 'If I don't do what I love to do now, when am I going to do it?'" Daniel said.
I called Daniel and asked if she could help me tackle some clutter at my home in January. She came over to do a free consultation.
"I do start off with a consultation. That's where I go to a home because I need to see for myself what's going on," Daniel said. "We sit down, we chat, do a walkthrough of the space, and I give suggestions and recommendations based on what I see."
We went from room to room and opened closets and cabinets. At first, it felt odd having a stranger looking through all my stuff.
"People get nervous about calling an organizer, but I try to put them at ease. I am not there to judge them, I am there to help them," Daniel said.
Daniel showed me a few key places where I could work on clutter, like my medicine cabinets and under the bathroom sinks. It only took me a few hours to get decluttering mastered, and I felt better immediately. This could be because clutter is directly linked to the stress hormone cortisol a UCLA study showed. If left unchecked, this can lead to depression. Daniel said, it even affects her sometimes.
"When you walk into an extremely cluttered space and you don't have anywhere to walk, it just really brings you down," Daniel said. "Even for myself. When I work with some of my clients and it's an extremely cluttered situation, I even feel stress."
So where do you start? First, Daniel said to declutter.
"So that means going through your things. You want to decide what you want to keep, what you want to donate, and what you want to trash," Daniel said.
Next, organize what you have and find a system that works for you.
"Your house doesn't have to look like a magazine, like everything is just perfect. Remember, the space has to work for you," Daniel said. "Being organized means being able to find what you're looking for."
Daniel said a few key things lead to extra clutter. This includes online shopping, not putting items away immediately after using them, and not keeping up on your decluttering.
"The most important step is what I call the, 'Keep it up' step. At least once a week, go to the dumping ground areas. If it's just the counter, your kitchen table, your dining room table, deal with those dumping ground areas at least once a week," Daniel said. "This is because, if you let it go for one week, it is going to turn into two weeks. Two weeks is going to turn into three weeks. The next thing you know, that space is going to be back the way it originally was."
Finally, Daniel said if you can't master your mess on your own, don't be afraid to ask for help.
"I just want to say. I know it's difficult to bring a stranger into your home, but if your clutter is driving you crazy, you've tried to get to it on your own, and you haven't done so, please reach out for help. We are not there to judge you. We want to help you," Daniel said.
Decluttering will ultimately help you have a happier home and a happier life.