Cluttered Bedroom Tips & Tricks

Bedroom or Living Room?

People with all sized bedrooms seem to relate to this story. Little by little stuff keeps creeping into their sleeping space. First it was that small desk that was really nice looking and that would be great for keeping all the bills in one place, putting photo albums together, writing notes to other people. Really? No one really does much of these things anymore, so how about just getting a new laptop and putting it right there? That’s the ticket! And of course, now you have a new TV mounted on the wall. Well, as long as the TV is there, how about putting an entertainment center underneath and buying another game system so you can have your own and the kids can have theirs? Whether you have a big space or a small space both have one thing in common, they fill up fast!

Wait, There’s More!

It doesn’t take long and additional things are added – the chaise that is just perfect for relaxing and reading. The only problem is that now it is just the repository for all of those clothes you just didn’t want to get into the laundry basket or hung up, or as a spot for clean laundry you just haven’t had time to put away. Adding a printer for that laptop just makes sense, because if you bring work home with you, you’ve got a bit of a quiet work space.

Then there are the clothes and shoes. Drawers and closet are over-stuffed; the closet floor is a repository of all sorts of things other than shoes – pictures you never hung, those new curtain rods you never quite got installed, and so forth. And over in a corner of the bedroom are those clothes and shoes you have been meaning to get over to Goodwill for maybe a month or more.

What was supposed to be your sanctuary has now become a place that stirs nightmares, or at least consternation as the clutter and mess is the last thing you see at night before you go to bed and the first thing you see in the morning when you wake up.

Really, It’s Time for an Overhaul

So, here are some things you can try to resolve to do right now:

1. Start with the closets and the drawers. Get everything gone that you have not worn in a year or more – add it all to that pile in the corner to be donated. Get a couple of huge plastic bags and stuff it all in there. The bags leave the bedroom now – either to the garage or basement, but preferably into your car trunk so they actually get where they are supposed to go.
2. Get unnecessary furniture out of there. Less is really better in this case. The less furniture you have, the fewer spots there are for you to throw things. Sell it or donate it.
3. Now to over-stimulation. Having a game system in the bedroom is a huge temptation to play late into the night. And when you do that, you over-stimulate your brain. So, when you finally do decide to get some sleep, you can’t – those lizards are still turning into monsters before your closed eyes and you are re-playing all of those great moves you made.

Just doing these three things will make an enormous difference in how you feel when you are in your bedroom. And how you feel determines in large part how you sleep.