The Importance of Order for Your Emotional Health

These days, we spend more time at home so have the opportunity to see its full potential, analyze every corner and, try to make it a more beautiful and welcoming place. Given the importance of order, it’s a good idea to tidy up your home, since order directly influences emotional health.

IKEA suggests you “reconquer” your home with a series of keys that help ensure order. They’re all guided by psychologist Patricia Ramírez:

“Many people don’t value their home’s order or decoration enough, as it’s the place they spend the least time at. They wake up, get ready, eat breakfast, and, sometimes, don’t come back home until dinner. They haven’t needed to tidy, decorate, and personalize their home to make it a relaxing space where they can enjoy reading a book or having a cup of coffee.”

You should be aware that order transcends your home and your objects. A tidy home equates to an orderly life, and this has many beneficial effects on both your emotional and mental well-being.

Free yourself to achieve order and emotional health

Today’s homes are contradictory. Although they don’t have a lot of space, people are increasingly buying more things. This creates an imbalance between available space and objects.

The first rule of order is to free yourself from everything you don’t need. Therefore, it’s important to take everything out and analyze what really makes you happy and what doesn’t.

According to Marie Kondo, that should be the rule that dictates your possessions. Thus, you should stop keeping things “for just in case” or because it makes you sad to throw them away, someone gave them to you, or you bought them on trips.

Although this is the hardest part of order, you have to do it and decide what you’re going to keep and what you’re going to throw away or donate. When you’re disposing of things, always keep in mind that it’s important to properly recycle all of them (through charity shops, online platforms, waste facilities, etc.).

Emotional health – keep things at hand

Another key to order for emotional health is to have what you need at hand when you’re going to use it. For this purpose, everything must always be in the same place.

You should have easy access to the things you use in the kitchen and the bathroom. In addition, you should put away anything you use after you finish with it. You can store what you don’t use as much in higher but easily accessible areas.

Here’s an example. You can store the blanket you use to watch TV or read on the sofa in a basket near it. The same goes for tablecloths, napkins, and everything you need to set the table. It’s a good idea to store these items in IKEA’s RÅSKOG trolley. It’s a great option because you can take it everywhere. Then, you’ll always have what you need with you!

You can store Christmas decorations in a box on the last shelf of your closet or storage room.

If you have children, it’s a good idea to store the things they use at their height so that they can both pick them up and put them away themselves. You should store them in boxes with wheels so they’re easy to move.

Allies of order

When it comes to putting your objects in order, numerous accessories can help you keep everything in its place.

• Furniture with storage. Beds, sofas, and poufs with storage optimize space and help you store things close to where they’re used.
• Shoeracks. As they’re narrow, they don’t take up too much space and allow you to keep your shoes organized and close at hand. Hallways are perfect places for them.
• Wheeled trolleys. These allow you to have what you need at hand with the advantage that you can easily transport them. They’re perfect for bathrooms and kitchens!
• Partitions and dividers. These are perfect for drawers of all kinds. They allow you to group objects and take advantage of space.
• Hooks. They provide extra storage space on walls and an easy access to objects.
• Shelves. These provide extra storage surfaces that are perfect for bathrooms.

Finally, psychologist Patricia Ramírez states that, “Order at home facilitates cohabitation and well-being. If each person does their part by taking responsibility for their chores and tasks, your home will always be tidy.” In short, don’t hesitate and tidy up your home to achieve emotional health!