Start the New Year with Less Mess

I love a neat home.

When I open my door after a long day away, there’s nothing like walking into a tidy place.

On the contrary, when I open my door and walk into a mess, my stress level begins to rise. Disappointment bubbles up and I can feel myself tense as I see a counter covered in dirty dishes, papers piled on a tabletop, or a heap of coats thrown over a chair.

Mess definitely equals stress. And the more mess I allow, the more stress I experience.

The thing is, as much as I know a neat home adds peace to my life, it’s not always easy to keep things tidy – especially when I’m busy and especially because I share my living space with my husband and children.

One huge conundrum happens when my mess seems to get too big to control. When I look around and see cleaning projects everywhere, I doubt I can even begin to tackle the disaster. When I begin to feel like I’m overwhelmed by a huge Stuff Monster, I know the mess has gotten out of control.

As much as I’d like someone else to come in and take care of it all (Marie Kondo, take me away!), I’m the one who needs to dedicate my time and effort to bring it under control. Getting my home from a mess to success all depends on me.

What a Mess Can Do

Did you know if there’s mess and clutter everywhere, you’ll actually add anxiety to your life and cut back on getting a good night of sleep?

It’s true. Our bodies actually need order to survive. Without order in your human body, your brain wouldn’t be able to control chaotic systems.

But your brain’s need for order stretches outside your actual body. When your house is a wreck, cortisol, a stress hormone, releases. That cortisol makes you feel stressed out. Physiologically speaking, a messy home stresses you out … and a clean home actually calms you.

I’ve definitely had my share of messy home moments and clean home moments. I’ve been burdened by the stress that comes with a mess, and I’ve felt free and peaceful when my home’s clean.

After especially demanding seasons of life get me out of my home routines, I’ve needed to dedicate time to get things back under control. In fact, I’ve needed to do this quite a few times. Because of that, I know it’s possible to turn a disaster of a home into a showplace. And I’d like to help you do the same.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the state of your home, I’d like to help you dig yourself out of the pit of despair. The process won’t happen overnight. And it won’t necessarily be easy. But it’s completely doable.

You can turn your mess into a success. All you need is to want to do it … and to commit to doing the work, no matter how long it may take.

Know Where You’re Going

Before we begin, I have a question for you. If you were leaving for a long road-trip to a vacation destination that’s new to you, would you expect to hop into your car and just know where to go? Would you expect to have a great trip if you made absolutely no preparations before your trip?

Leaving for vacation without knowing what you would do ahead of time or even where to go would pretty much ensure a disaster of a trip. Sure, you might enjoy some of your travels, but you would have a much better vacation if you knew where you were going, what you needed to pack, and what you would do once you reach your destination.

Cleaning your home is the same way! If you don’t know what you need to do and if you make no preparations, you won’t have a great experience. You might get something cleaned along the way, but you could experience so much more.

Before you start a cleaning frenzy, it’s time to create a good plan of attack: What would you like your home to look and feel like?

Once you’ve thought of your dream situation, a bigger question to ask yourself is what is standing in your way?

Think through these few questions first. Once you identify the obstacles that are making it difficult for you to live in and maintain your ideal home, figuring out solutions will be a next step.

To help with that next step, grab my free 7-Day Strategy to Tidy Your Home.

Would you like to start this new year with less mess? Or do you have another issue you’d like to address in your home?

Hilary

Hilary Bernstein is a Christ follower, wife, homeschooling mama, and writer who believes every Christian woman can live with peace and purpose. She's happiest when she's hosting friends and family for dinner, going on date nights with her husband, singing along to the radio, traveling with her family, and spending cozy nights at home. The author of fifteen books,Hilary also is Women's Ministry Director at The Chapel in Green, Ohio.