How to Get Organized, Even When You Are Overwhelmed

I am going to give you some tips to teach you how to get organized when you are overwhelmed. These are habits that I recommend my clients take on because they make maintaining a clean space a lot easier.


If you struggle with keeping an organized and orderly home, this article is for you. Even if you’re not struggling, these are habits that will be useful to anyone.

1. Schedule time to tidy up

This is the first and perhaps most important habit. You can implement this habit immediately, starting today. You don’t have to schedule a lot of time. Thirty minutes a day is sufficient. The trick is that you have to do it every day. Put it on your calendar, set a timer, and make it happen.

Keeping like items together

2. Keep your categories together

Keep like items stored together. For instance, if you are looking for a specific power cord storing all of your power cords and wires together will make finding things simple. This is an easy habit to make sure your space is well organized.

Decluttering your home

3. Declutter often

Get in the practice of letting go. Be on the lookout on a regular basis for things you can get rid of. For example, if you have books that you haven’t read, looked at, or even touched in years, let them go.


Donate them to a library, do a book drive, or give them to family and friends. Just get them out of your home. Getting in the habit of letting go on a regular basis will help keep your home clutter-free.

How to reset your space

4. Reset your space as soon as you’re done using it

This one may be easier said than done but the more you do it, the more intuitive it will become. When I was in college, before I went out at night, I would try on a bunch of outfits and leave clothes lying all over my room. Then I would come home to a big mess.


If you continuously clean and put things away as soon as you’re done using them, you will not have to deal with a build-up of mess. Always reset your space before moving on to the next thing.

Giving every item in a house a home

5. Give every item a home

Everything in your house should have a place where it belongs. Assigning a designated space to each thing you own will make it easier to tidy up and much easier to find things when you need them.


When you don’t implement a system like this, you end up with clutter and become disoriented and overwhelmed when trying to straighten up and when trying to find things.


You end up buying more of the things you can’t find and suddenly you have 3 pairs of scissors but you can’t even find one when you need them. Dedicating a place for every item helps you become more intentional with everything in your home.


6. Be intentional about the things you welcome into your home

Everything in your home should be intentional. If you receive a gift and you know the item is not going to serve you and is not something you love and actually want, let it go.


Shop with purpose. Don’t go shopping just to shop. If you are not intentional about what you buy and what you bring into your home you will be overwhelmed and your home will be difficult to organize. Everything you have should be intentional and serve you.

Simple organizing systems

7. Keep your systems simple

Be sure the organizing systems you are creating for your space are simple, practical, and easy to maintain. I love my honeycomb dividers. I use them to organize my socks and underwear.


It is a simple, practical, and functional solution that requires no thought or energy. Simple systems will be easier to maintain.

How to get organized when you are overwhelmed

8. Make your bed

Making your bed creates a more organized environment. It also sets your intentions for the day so you’re starting out on a path towards order. Even if the rest of your space isn’t perfectly cleaned, having your bed made just makes your space feel more organized.


9. Stay on top of the paper

Paper can accumulate very quickly and cause a lot of stress. Create good habits around tackling paper as it comes into your space. If it’s junk mail, get rid of it right away. If there are bills make sure to get them sorted and organized properly. Unless it’s important documentation, just discard it.


10. Work together as a family

Keeping a space organized really does require cooperation from every member of the household. Share the above habits and tips with everyone in the house and encourage them to get on board.


Explain that you need everyone to truly honor the space they are living in and provide them with these tips to give them the tools they need to meet these goals. Everyone has to be intentional and work together to keep the space organized long-term. 


How to get organized when you are overwhelmed

Those are the 10 habits I really want you to focus on when you are creating a tidy and organized home. The key word here is habits because implementing these practices regularly will ensure your space stays manageable for the long term. I hope you have found this helpful.


Which of these habits do you think is going to be the most challenging for you to implement on a daily basis? Let’s discuss it in the comments section. Have a great day and good luck on your organizing journey.

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  • Kim shiflett Kim shiflett on May 31, 2023

    I am doing this on a regular basis myself . However I can’t seem to get my husband , and family members to get on board.. They think I have OCD , lol

  • Nicki Nicki on Jun 14, 2023

    Hi I’m Nicki, and I’m a pack rat. It’s easy for me to weed thru my hubby’s things and organize them but when it comes to me and my closet, well, let’s just say it’s a hot mess…but, ask me where anything is and I can find it!

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