Even chaotic people get a tidy house with this technique

Guys, we have to face it. It is now officially November, which means that for the coming months we will probably enjoy the warmth of our homes immensely, to put it as positively as possible. It is a fact that we spend more time indoors during the winter months. The hours you would normally spend on terraces, you will probably prefer to be pressed against the heating now. And since you are home so much more, it is nice to create a calming space for yourself. So if you catch yourself getting annoyed by loose papers in the house, an overflowing wardrobe, or those things you should have thrown away a long time ago but keep stuffing back into that closet: this is for you.

The most important thing: start big

This may sound very strange, but it is important not to start by throwing away and sorting the small bits in the kitchen drawer. You start with something big. And the best thing is to start with your clothes, because after all, you need to make room for all those nice new sweaters on your wishlist. So: grab all the clothes from every corner of the room, take your jackets off the coat rack, pull out your shoes, and start with your critical selection. What I find the hardest is getting rid of clothes that have emotional memories attached to them, but that you also know you will never wear again. But since I was obsessed with the Netflix series by Marie Kondo, I know it helps to thank your clothes for the nice memories you made together. Even if this sounds a bit too hysterical to you, I recommend trying it anyway.

Then comes the moment of perseverance

What really works well is to keep doing everything in categories. So instead of tackling it by room, which leaves one room in your house completely in disarray, you divide it into, for example: books and papers (including administration and all those loose papers you hide in drawers), kitchen items, toys, and so on. It is very motivating to be able to finish a piece each time, and to see results throughout your house instead of having to be in your kitchen to see that your effort has been worth it.

And this is the most important trick to keep it tidy

Make sure everything has a fixed place. So that scissors have a fixed place in the drawer, important letters that you still need to do something with have a compartment. Loose cords, chargers, plugs: all in a separate storage box in a drawer, or somewhere else where you don't have it in sight. You do not deviate from those fixed places in any case. That is the most important rule to follow: when a new letter comes, you know where to put it, new batteries go in that one little box there, and without having to think about it, nothing ever gets left lying around again.