I follow the "touch it once" rule. If I have to pick something up or use it, the second my hand leaves it, it needs to be back in its place, rather than set down on a convenient flat surface.
When you use something you put it away as soon as done. Do awway with the things that you do not need. tt I Avoid procrastination of tidying small things so that it doesn’t accumulate
You can’t really prevent tidying but you can prevent long hours of cleaning by doing a little bit every day. Try starting with putting one thing where it’s supposed to go per day. You have to do small tidying more often, but it is easier to find time to do it and it is far less exhausting.
The truth of the matter is, you will always have to tidy up at some point. Whether it be immediate or after the fact, there will be a mess to clean. Your power over your messes are not if you’ll have to clean, but when. Personally, my cleaning habits are mixed between the end of my days and the start of the next. I’m a night owl, so sometimes I’m working or gaming until I’m exhausted and lack the energy/motivation to clean up. I’ll quickly create a spot to collect my mess to make it easier to clean up in the morning. Other times I run out of work to complete so I have time to kill before I’m tired and will clean as part of my nightly routine. All in all, you’ll always have to maintain your mess. You decide what works best for you.
Don’t put off tomorrow what i can do today. I tend to leave things and just say I’ll get it later. It’s just as easy to get it now. I have this inner monologue that says, “Elizabeth just get it”. I don’t always listen and I should. It takes so long to put my laundry away because I take too long to do it and then get overwhelmed. Laundry goal = twice a week. Doing laundry will now include putting it away.
You can’t. You either choose to tidy up continuously or leave a mess around you until you do a big cleanup. Neither’s gonna be fun. Just do it anyway, for the sake of your peace of mind.
In order to prevent from having to tidy up in the first place, things would have to be put away in their designated spot or thrown away immediately after use, things would have to be wiped or cleaned immediately, things would have to be picked up immediately upon notice. In my 20’s I tried living in that way with a husband and 2 young children and it doesn’t take long before you burnout and feel exhausted from constantly trying to maintain tidiness, unless you barely live in or are at home. From my experience of 25 years of homemaking, a home is meant to be lived in and feel cozy and inviting. When I tidy, it’s not for the perfection of looking like we live in a model home, like I used to do long ago, but to add comfort, safety, pleasantries and love. A home is a sanctuary or refuge and should reflect qualities that uplift, inspire, motivate, bring happiness and joy, comfort, safety, beauty, love, creativity, so on and so forth. Tidying isn’t just cleaning, it’s about raising the energy of the space, environment and atmosphere to where you feel really good being there. We are all greatly influenced by our environments and atmospheres and when it promotes wellbeing, we live life well.
By trying to put things back in their places after using them. Pick up after your self, have the kids clean up after themselves.
Put things where they belong. Make sure everything has a place. It should be a quick tidy at night, especially after dinner.
Dont mess it up in the first place. 😂 Most of the clean and tidy up section is to sweep the floor, iron the shirts, its more like a housework but not doing it in the first place had then become something to clean & tidy up