Where are your Dumping Grounds? | Gioia Ltd Where are your Dumping Grounds? | Gioia Ltd

Where are your Dumping Grounds?

WHERE ARE YOUR DUMPING GROUNDS?

Honestly we’ve all got dumping grounds in our home and often in our work environment as well. It may be one or two areas where we pop something ‘for now’ until we get around to actually putting it away – or in some cases, until we can figure out a place where we can put it away!

The problem with dumping grounds is that they attract more of the same; in other words clutter works like a magnet and basically says “come to me…” I also believe that clutter sucks the energy and joy out of us. It becomes overwhelming and there’s certainly no joy in overwhelm!

Okay, so what are the two most common dumping areas in the home and what can you do about them?

– From what I have experienced with my clients the most popular dumping grounds are the dining room table, and chairs, where the school bags, jackets etc end up when the kids get home from school.

– Then there’s the kitchen bench areas where all sorts of paraphernalia clutters up the surfaces which may include notices from school, homework, unopened mail, and the like. And the kitchen areas are in fact the very places that you want to be completely uncluttered so you have plenty of space to prepare meals.

You will have heard this from me before, probably several times if you’ve been reading my newsletters for a while, but I’ll continue beating the drum by saying “clear the surfaces”.

The dining room table and chairs ideally want to be kept clear so when you’re ready to sit down to a meal you can do so without having to move bags and coats. Request that all the members of your household [except the babies of course] take their belongings straight into their room when they arrive home. If lunch boxes need to be taken out of the school bag, then get the kids to do that, they can put their lunch box on the kitchen bench ready for the next day.

Clearing the kitchen bench areas can be as simple as putting everything that you can away in the cupboards, or nestled into a corner where items aren’t intruding over the entire bench. School notices and pieces of paper you need to refer to could be kept in a clear file popped in a corner where it’s visible but not in the way, or you could stick a cork board on the pantry door where notices can be pinned. It’s really about keeping everything in its place as much as possible so you can access items easily but at the same time you’re able to maintain a tidy workable space.

What do I love about being organised and clutter free:

– I love the sense of order around me, both in my home and in my office area.

– I know exactly where I can find things, 99% of the time, and if it’s not in the first place I look then I know it will be in one of two other areas.

– And this means I don’t get frustrated looking for something, AND I don’t waste time searching when I can be doing something better.

– I don’t shop unnecessarily for food, or any other items. My pantry, fridge and kitchen cupboards are organised so I can see what’s there and what I need to shop for.

– This means I don’t waste money overbuying items I really don’t need, and I don’t have the quandary of where to put things because there’s no more room.

– Above all, I feel a lovely sense of peace and well-being when I walk into my home and that’s really important to me.

It’s my mission to make peoples’ lives easier, and more joyous. And I totally understand how difficult it can be to get family members to put their things away, and to care about having a tidy uncluttered living environment as you do.

Decluttering and tidying up are things that we need to do regularly – but they needn’t be soul destroying tasks. If you’re picturing how lovely and organised your home is going to look and feel as you work through the tasks, hopefully with the family helping you, then it will make the time you take so much more pleasurable. I actually enjoy decluttering and organising partly because I love the outcome, but also because it’s often interesting to come across items I’d forgotten I had, or taking that little trip down memory lane when I pick up certain objects.

I hope you enjoy this newsletter because what I’ve written here really does make a difference. I’m happy to talk to you, or respond to emails if you get stuck or want advice on how to move forward.

I wish you a wonderful month ahead, with joy and blessings.

In Joy!

Angella Gilbert

P: 09 410 4166
M: 027 224 8937
E: angella.gilbert@xtra.co.nz
W: www.gioia.net.nz

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