Regardless of the size of your home, you've probably caught yourself overwhelmed by the amount of stuff you own and are in need of extra space storage. It's so easy to accumulate tons of stuff, and as the years go on the stuff just keeps growing. There're the deals that can't be passed up, the one of a kind item that can't be left behind, the gifts you hardly use but can't part with. There's probably high school yearbooks or textbooks and old notebooks from college with every page full, probably never to be used again but kept for the nostalgia.
Whatever the reason, having too much stuff leads to clutter and a cluttered home can lead to anxiety and stress. In fact, studies have shown that clutter in your home causes chaos in your life. We understand how hard it is to part with certain things even if they serve little use, so we've got tips on how you can keep your stuff and ditch the clutter too. Read on for five extra space storage spots that will declutter your home and your life.
EXTRA SPACE STORAGE
You'd think knowing if you have too much stuff is easy, and while it's easy to spot the signs of having too much stuff when they're spelled out for you, it's easy to overlook these signs on your own. Here are some great ways to know if you have too much stuff:
YOU CAN'T FIND ANYTHING
Have you ever run late for an important meeting because you put your car keys down for one minute and suddenly you're spending 10 minutes frantically running around your home looking for them? While this probably happens to everyone at least once if it happens to you frequently it's probably because you've got way too much stuff lying around. Not being able to find anything causes more problems than lost car keys.
If you're not organizing your stuff, then you might catch yourself frustrated at the last minute searching all over for the bill that's due or watching the perfect night turn into a stressful night because you can't find that outfit you've been dying to wear. Not being able to find your things wastes your valuable time and causes unneeded stress.
YOUR FLOORS AND COUNTERTOPS ARE COVERED
If you walk into a bedroom in your home and there are clothes scattered across the floor, then you can definitely benefit from some extra storage space. If your countertops are covered with miscellaneous items that get tossed there and forgotten about, then you will never find anything.
HAVING GUESTS OVER CAUSES STRESS
If you get stressed when you think about having guests over because of the appearance of your home, then it might be because you've got too much clutter. If finding out about a last-minute guest sends you into an anxiety driven rapid race of shoving things into drawers or under the bed, then you can definitely benefit from some storage organization.
YOUR HOME OVERWHELMS YOU
If you step into your home and start feeling tense, then you probably have too much stuff. Walking into a chaotic, cluttered space can instantly cause anxiety. If having to much stuff impacts your mental health, then it's definitely time to declutter.
YOU BUY THINGS YOU ALREADY OWN
Have you ever caught yourself looking all over for that can opener or wine opener you swear you just saw? Have you then given up and gone to the store to grab another one only to find the original a few days later? If you catch yourself buying things you definitely own just because you can't find them, then you have too much clutter.
THE BENEFITS OF ORGANIZATION
There are tons of benefits to organizing your home and getting rid of stressful clutter. Here are some of the best reasons to declutter your life:
- Increased concentration: When your home isn't completely cluttered then your focus will increase. With less clutter to stress you out or distract you your overall productivity will increase.
- Better all around mood: Clutter can impact your mood. When you've got too much clutter, it doesn't only negatively impact your mood because of the chaos it causes, but it can also make you feel as if you don't have your life altogether. Decluttering can bring you a greater sense of control and more confidence too.
- Less wasted time: It might feel like decluttering your life is too time-consuming, but the time it saves far outweighs the time it takes. When you've decluttered your home, you'll always be able to find everything, so no more wasted time searching all over for the remote, your car keys, or that bill that's due.
- Less time spent cleaning: When your home is cluttered, cleaning is a huge chore. When you take advantage of extra storage space and declutter your home, cleaning will take way less time because everything will have a place.
5 OFTEN OVERLOOKED STORAGE SPOTS
You might think that having less clutter sounds great, but there's just no way you have any more storage space in your home, luckily there are a few extra space storage spots you probably haven't thought of. With a few fixes, you'll be finding more space in your home and less clutter in your life. These five overlooked extra storage space spots are easy to use and cost effective too.
ABOVE AND ON YOUR DOORS
The space above doors is almost always overlooked when it comes to storage. There's usually about a foot of space between the door frame and ceiling in most homes, and it can be utilized for decluttering. Putting up a shelf in this in-between space can change your life by giving you way more storage space than you thought was hidden in your home.
This extra space storage spot is great for storing things you don't often use like fancy shoes and bags you only take out for weddings or books and textbooks you can't part with but hardly open. This spot is also a great place to store winter clothes when it's too warm out or summer clothes in the winter, just put them in some nice compact containers, and you're set. You can also use hooks on your doors to hang things or install an over-the-door shoe hanger.
OVERLOOKED STORAGE AREAS IN YOUR CLOSET
Your closet has so much more extra space storage than you think. One great way to add more space to your closet is by adding an extension rod. This way you have double the rods for hanging clothes. This not only gives you way more room to work with, but it can also increase organization by giving you one rod for tops and one rod for bottoms.
You can also implement hanging shoe bags in your closet; these bags are great ways to add extra space to your closet without cluttering the floor. Plus, they don't have only to be used for shoes, you can store whatever is cluttering your closet in these hanging bags. If you've got empty wall space in your closet, then you can turn that into storage space too, put up hooks so you can hang belts, jewelry, scarves, hats, and more.
BY YOUR TOILET
A cluttered bathroom can be extra stressful. It's probably one of the first things you see when you wake up and one of the last things you see before bed. The last thing you need as you're unwinding for a great night's rest is anxiety caused by your cluttered bathroom counter as you brush your teeth. No matter how tight the space in your bathroom is, you likely have enough room for a skinny cabinet by your toilet. You can put all the things cluttering your sink area in the drawers.
UNUSED SPOTS IN YOUR KITCHEN
If your kitchen cabinets don't reach all the way to the ceiling or counter, you're in luck with a bunch of extra space storage. If you have enough space between your cabinets and the ceiling you can install a shelf and fill it up with tons of items. If you've got space under your cabinets, then you've got more extra space storage. This is a great place to put in some sturdy hooks and hang cups or large utensils. You can even buy some inexpensive under shelf baskets to put in or under your cabinets to double your storage space.
THE WALLS ABOVE YOUR FURNITURE
Many people suffering from cluttered homes often overlook this spot. It's an easy spot to miss, you see furniture, and you think all the space is occupied, but the wall space above your furniture is great for extra space storage. You can install properly secured shelves and store many things on them. Try storing books or all those shells you collected at the beach and don't know what to do with on these shelves, not only decluttering but adding a great look to any room too.
CONCLUSION
A cluttered home leads to a chaotic mind and seeps into every component of your life. From unneeded stress and anxiety to wasted time, clutter does nothing good for you. Luckily, finding extra space storage in your room is simple as long as you know where to look. Now you know five great spots and ways to get more storage out of your home, and you're well on your way to a decluttered home and life.
Leave a Reply