1. Being organized leads to healthier eating habits.

Here are some ways to lead an organized life in the kitchen:

• Get rid of any dishes, utensils, non-kitchen items that you don’t use on a regular basis. Your kitchen is a high traffic area and needs to be kept as simply as possible to create an easy routine surrounding meals.

• Prepare a weekly meal plan and grocery shop one time if possible. This will save you both time and money, help you make less undesirable food choices, and reduce the mental energy throughout your week. Say goodbye to the overwhelming “what should I make for dinner tonight?”

2. Being organized leads to better sleep.

Here are some ways to get organized for better sleep:

• Organize your schedule and plan to have all essential tasks completed and hour or two before bedtime, so you can get relaxed enough to fall asleep early.

• Set a daily alarm in your phone to stop drinking caffeine six hours before bedtime. Being unorganized is chaotic, and small steps like this will gradually help you live a more attentive lifestyle.

• Before bed, write down any to-do tasks for tomorrow that are consuming your mind so they don’t keep you awake at night. Then, follow through with completing what you can the following day to relieve any stress from building up.

3. Being organized leads to more “me-time”.

Being an organized person is a journey, with no final destination. One amazing thing that happens, less often, when you work on being more organized is less “I haven’t had any time for myself.” “I was busy all day long.” While, you still might have big occasions or certain events that do keep you very busy, when you’re organized you learn how to schedule in breaks and actually TAKE them. Your life is no longer your enemy and you are no longer a victim of habits you’ve created. Choosing to stop the chaos and own your life circumstances is a gift to your mental health.

4. Being organized promotes healthier relationships.

When you are constantly fighting against your schedule, stressed from lack of sleep and simplicity, and spending hours thinking about your STUFF/food, it’s hard to focus on fostering relationships. Being organized directly impacts everyone in your household. Instead of fighting with your kids and partner about putting stuff away, create a system that the whole family can follow so you can spend the time enjoying one another. When your house is “messy”, it’s less likely you’ll invite friends over. An organized home gives you the confidence and peace to to never miss a moment of quality time.

5. Being organized leads to less stress.

Everything listed above already decreases stress: healthier nutrition, better sleep, me-time, and strong relationships. On top of this huge changes when you become more organized, you become more productive at work, which decreases stress. You spend less time worrying about tomorrow because you already have a plan and you’re taking steps to simplify every area of your life.

Take a small step today, in any of these areas to make one part of your day simpler. Here are a few suggestions:

• Plan dinners for a week and order groceries online, or pick which day of the week you’ll shop.

• Complete a task that you’ve been putting off for a while, but think about regularly. Like scheduling a dentist appointment or throwing away tupperware with no matching lids

• Store/donate clothes that aren’t in season or a size you’re no longer using.

• Create a routine for nightly house clean-up, that involves everyone in the house.

• Go through a pile of junk mail & papers. Toss/shred anything you don’t need. Start a google photos folder and take pictures of documents with important information, and toss it if you don’t need a physical copy.

• Clean out your car.

• Organize your utility drawer / closets.

• Plan a monthly budget to decrease financial stress. STICK TO IT.