As another year comes to a close, our thoughts naturally turn towards fresh starts, resolutions, and new challenges for a new year. It’s no wonder we get a lot of requests for organization ideas this time of year!
In fact, if you’re like most people considering their new year’s goals, you’re probably looking to get healthier or be more organized.
What if we told the two things go hand-in-hand? It’s true!
If you’re resolved to eat better, get fit, or cut back on stress…how you set up your environment can have a big impact on your results.
Studies show that how we organize our space can mean the difference between giving up on a new goal after just a few days, or sticking with it until it becomes a habit.
And, of course, the key to achieving real results in fitness, weight loss, or productivity is creating new habits that stick.
Also Check Out: New Year’s Parenting Resolutions Worth Keeping!
This is why organization and health go together like peas and carrots!
With our organization ideas, you can strategically arrange your space in a way that makes it easier for you to achieve your goals…whatever those goals might be.
We gathered advice from moms who are masters of organization and health to share with you. Let their tips inspire and help you reach your wellness goals for the coming year!
Easy Organization Ideas
Kitchen Organization Tips For Healthy Eating:
How you organize your kitchen and pantry impacts your food habits.
Here’s a few tricks to help you make better choices.
1. Get Spicy!
How many vegetables did you eat yesterday? If you’re struggling to remember even one, you’re not alone.
Most Americans fall insanely short of the recommended 2-3 ½ cups, yes CUPS, of vegetables they should be eating on a daily basis.
How can you get your veggie count up? Spices!
Adding herbs and spices like garlic, ginger, curry, rosemary, or cracked pepper can make vegetables taste more appealing without you having to add unholy amounts of butter or salt.
So it stands to reason that one of our healthy organization ideas is to get your spices in order.
Go through your spice cabinet and throw away any old, expired spices. They aren’t going to give you the flavor you want to perk up those veggies.
Replace them with newer, more flavorful versions.
Next make sure everything is clearly labeled, so you can easily read what’s in any given container.
Finally, choose your favorite go-to spices and set them out in front, at eye-level, as a constant reminder to add a little veg and spice to your cooking.
Try using a slide out space-saving spice rack to keep things organized and easy to find.
You can even keep the most-used varieties on a cute shelf right by your stove so they are always within arm’s reach.
2. Clean Your Counters
A messy space equals messy eating. A study published in Environment and Behavior found that women in messy kitchens ate twice as many cookies as women in clean, organized kitchens.
Twice as many …yikes!
The theory is that when you’re in a cluttered environment it brings on defeatist thinking such as, “everything is a mess, why even try to eat healthy?”
Also, the noise of a cluttered environment causes low-grade stress, which makes us want to eat comfort food to soothe the anxiety.
Keeping your counters clean means less reason to stress eat. So start cleaning!
Set a timer for 20 minutes. Anyone can do anything for 20 minutes.
It’s the perfect amount of time to be focused and get something done, without feeling overwhelmed. Pick a spot and go for it.
Try using some space-saving can holders for your pantry or tiered cabinet organizers to make more room.
While you’re at it, be sure to choose nontoxic household cleaners. You’re trying to improve your health remember? You don’t want to spray chemicals around your food.
After a few sessions, your counters will look great, and you won’t get that cluttered feeling every time you walk in the kitchen.
RELATED: Cleaning And Organization Hacks That Work!
3. Place Good Food Front and Center
You’re not going to eat what you can’t see. Keeping that in mind, another one of our helpful organization ideas is to rearrange your fridge and pantry to put the good stuff front and center.
The easiest time to do this is right when you get back from the grocery store. Put foods away with this strategy firmly in mind.
Place your kids snack foods on a high shelf, out of normal reach.
Pull the fruits and veggies out of the deep, dark fridge drawer and place them where they can be seen.
You might want to get some clear plastic bins or fridge shelves to really put your produce on display.
Also, consider investing in a fruit basket that sits on your counter or table. Most fruits don’t belong in the fridge, the cold makes their flavor less appealing.
Plus, a Cornell Study found that women with a visible fruit bowl weighed about 13 pounds less than those without, probably because they actually ATE fruit for a snack instead of something processed.
Try this little trick when you organize your space!
Office Organization Tips To Reduce Stress:
Clutter doesn’t just get in the way of our goals in the kitchen, it also impacts our productivity at work.
Whether you work at home or go into an office, try these organization ideas to help reduce stress, clear your mind, and improve focus.
4. Time Prioritize Your Desk
Clutter overwhelms the visual cortex, which means a messy desk makes your brain work harder to complete tasks.
This extra mental work takes a toll on your energy and efficiency.
The good news? Your desk doesn’t have to be perfectly clean to get good results.
In fact, you need a little clutter to function. It just needs to be the RIGHT clutter.
You want to organize your workspace to put current tasks and daily tools front and center. The rest can be kept out of sight.
RELATED: Declutter Your Home, Declutter Your Mind
It works like this, divide up all the stuff on your desk into three sections; past, present and future.
Present stuff are the tools you need to do your job everyday and the projects you are currently working on.
These are the only items that remain front and center in a pretty desk organizer. Computer, pens, post-its, active files – organize these on your workspace.
Anything that is past, as in completed projects, receipts, documents, etc. should be filed away in a cabinet.
Anything for the future; research, new project ideas, etc. should be close at hand, but not on your immediate desk.
Consider placing these things in a drawer or on a shelf.
5. Window Location
Lots of folks place their desk near a window for the light and the view, but this could actually be causing you more harm than good.
If the light comes streaming in from behind your computer, meaning you directly face the window, it can lead to eye fatigue. This zaps energy and can lower productivity.
If your back is to the window, your screen gets washed out and is hard to read. This causes people to squint, which is also not ideal.
You want to re-engineer your workspace so that the windows are alongside your desk and computer.
This is the optimal position for working with minimal eye strain.
6. Add Some Art
A survey completed by Linkedin found that 77% of respondents felt having art in their work area makes them happier.
74% said art helped them feel inspired, and 34% said it made them more relaxed.
So naturally, what’s one of our organization ideas for your office? Hang that picture already! Or put that cool statue on your desk, it helps.
And one more thing, art can lose it’s inspirational power over time. So be sure to change it up!
Move pieces around, try out something new…anything to keep the creative juices flowing.
Organization Ideas To Make Exercise A Habit:
You’re busy! Which means it doesn’t take much to derail you from your workout plans.
Don’t let that happen! A little prep work and these organization ideas can help make fitness part of your regular routine.
7. Be Prepared!
Like a boy scout, you want to be ready to get physical whenever the opportunity presents itself.
To that end, keep a pair of tennis shoes, socks, water bottle, and yoga mat in your car at ALL TIMES.
This way you’re ready if a friend suggest you take a lunchtime walk, or someone mentions a new yoga class.
You can also park your car farther away from stores and hoof it to get in some extra steps when shopping.
Every little bit of activity helps!
8. Create A Launch Pad
If you want to make something a habit, like working out, you need to make it as easy as possible. This means have all your clothes and gear ready and organized in a standard spot so you have no excuses!
Dedicate a shelf, bin, or other organizer as a “workout station” and set out everything you need the night before. This will be your morning launch pad.
Clothes, towel, shoes, iPod, gym bag, and special gear… you want it all there ready and waiting so when you get out of bed you can grab it and go.
RELATED: These Are The Reasons You Want To Work Out In The Morning
Plus research shows that folks who exercise first thing in the morning tend to be more consistent with their workouts.
So any organization hacks you can do to make AM workouts happen is a good thing.
Little tweaks to your home and office space can help build the habits that lead to better health.
Set yourself up for success! Organize your space to achieve great results.
RELATED: Great Organizing Tips To Declutter Your Life
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