They lurk behind closed doors. Almost everyone has one—in their garage, in their closets, in their desk, or in a drawer. They are “Pockets of Chaos!” These pockets are where we just dump stuff off, sometimes with no rhyme or reason. We have busy lives, replete with memorabilia, paperwork, bills, and general paraphernalia. In my years of being a Professional Organizer, I haven’t encountered one household that does not harbor one of these areas. The common theme is, “I don’t know where to put it or I don’t have time to deal with it, so here it will go?” These areas potentially build and build and sometimes spill into other areas of our homes or offices. When we open them, they do not make us happy, they make us stressed, anxious, and grouchy. Before these areas take over, here are a few steps to take these “Pockets of Chaos” into “An Oasis of Peace.”

  1. Name the space. What is its intended use? What do you need the space to do for you?
  2. Take everything out of the space, so you have a totally clean slate.
  3. Separate and group items you took out into either trash, donations, reposition items (find a proper home for it) or returns (for example, if your designated space is a coat closet and the item is a coat, then it returns to the space).
  4. Only put back what is needed and is intended for that purpose.
  5. To keep from “Chaos-ing” the space again, when you have the urge to stuff or dump something back into it, take a brief moment, look at how it makes you feel to have it organized and with a purpose. Then take the said item and find a home for it, even if it is in the trash can!

The pay-off of purging and organizing your “Pockets of Chaos” will be less stress, more space, freedom, and clarity in your life. Now, I hope you find your “Oasis of Peace” in your home!

Christin Sherbourne is the owner of Efficiency by Design, Professional Organization by Christin Sherbourne. She can be reached at at 541-973-7678 or her Facebook page at Facebook/EfficiencyByDesign.