If you missed the news, Wilson Home Organizing is growing! This blog post comes from one of our new team members, Alina Stakhovich. Alina is a pediatric nurse here in Tacoma, WA, and is working on growing her own home organization business. Alina is passionate about living a healthy lifestyle, and below shares four ways having an organized home is actually beneficial to your overall health!

1) Having a clutter-free kitchen promotes healthy eating.

If you are trying to eat healthier, a good place to start is to take a look in your pantry. Is it filled with nutrient-packed foods such as nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and legumes or does it overflow with refined grains, processed snack foods, and canned goods? Having healthier, fewer, and better organized options in your pantry is the first step to minimizing or optimizing snacking, and to improving eating habits in general. As for the kitchen at large, it’s definitely much easier to prepare quick, home-cooked meals, when you know exactly where to find your favorite pan or that wooden stirring spoon. Who wants to waste time rummaging through drawers and cabinets just to find a clean utensil?

Tips:

Purge your pantry of heavily processed, sugary, and, of course, expired items.
Stock and organize your pantry with only foods that would treat your body well.
Donate your kitchen gadgets, utensils, cookware that you don’t use.
Optimize your kitchen space by using bins, shelves, baskets, dividers, and racks to organize your space.

2) You are less stressed when everything in your home has a place.

Think of your home office. (Or wherever you keep your papers.) Are you filled with dread when you think about trying to find something you need to do your taxes this season? Clutter in the home office is common, but when you are able to easily locate what you need when you need it, you don't have to experience that stress - financially or otherwise. This principle applies to the rest of the home as well. Having a designated space for everything allows you to put things away easily, and then find them again when you need them. Knowing exactly where to locate your summer clothes and gear allows you to enjoy the changing seasons, not stress over them. Both your body and mind will thank you for minimizing that stress wherever you can.

Tips:

Purge your office of old papers (receipts, credit card statements, bills), and create a filing system for the papers you do need.
Purge your closet of clothing you haven’t worn in more than a year or two and consider storing off-season clothes away from your closet.
Designate a place for everything in your home.

3) More space can mean a designated area for morning stretches or a home gym.

When your home is free of clutter, you actually have more free living space. Even if you live in in a small apartment, having less clutter out makes your space feel and appear bigger! For a workout area, It really doesn’t take much. A 5 ft x8 ft area of floor space is all you need to lay down a yoga mat - unlimited possibilities for body weight exercise routines. Even more possibilities when you add in some free weights! You really don’t even need a yoga mat if you’ve got a carpeted floor in your bedroom or living room. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least two days per week of strength training and at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day. Recent studies have shown that the 30 minutes can be broken up into chunks throughout the day. Fifteen minutes in the morning and fifteen at lunch - you’re the boss. We all know that physical activity is great for our body, and stretching in the morning (or at any time, if you’re not a morning person!) improves clarity of mind and flexibility. Take care of your body: increase your energy levels and help prevent injuries with stretching and exercise.

Tips:

Designate a space for daily stretch sessions (10 minutes in the morning is just fine!) and for exercising.
Commit to an exercise routine that works for you and your schedule. There are many tools out there, but if you need some specific routines for getting started, don’t hesitate to ask me!
Consistently keep your floor areas clean and clear of clutter.

4) An orderly home makes entertaining a real possibility, leading to more interpersonal relationships and improved mental health.

Have you ever avoided inviting someone over to your apartment or house for fear that it wasn’t good enough (too cluttered, too messy, or just not “presentable”)? What if your home radiated coziness and tidiness? It’s amazing what organizing and tidying up your space can do for your attitude about having guests over. You no longer dread having people over for fear of not being able to find where to seat them. On top of that, you know exactly where those pretty dishes are that you’ve been keeping for entertaining, and can access them with ease. You’re less uptight when friends come over because you don’t fear them opening a cabinet and judging the contents. Also, cleaning up after entertaining is a breeze when you know exactly where things go. As an extra perk, new friendships are formed and existing ones are strengthened. Your home may just become your friends’ next favorite hangout spot.

Tips:

Pick one to two favorite areas in your home that you would like to use for entertaining, and then focus on making them clutter-free, cozy, and functional
When inviting friends over, ask them to bring snacks or sides to whatever you are considering serving to lessen the preparation burden. If they’re great friends, they might even help you clean up afterwards!

If you'd like to contact Alina, feel free to email her at alina.kalinin@gmail.com or follow her on instagram @stak.alina

Four ways having an organized home is good for your health