7 Bedroom Organization Secrets for a More Productive Year
The bedroom is where we go to rest, relax, and get away from the stresses of the day. If it’s cluttered and chaotic, your brain won’t get the refuge it needs.
People who sleep in messy rooms often are the same individuals who suffer from chronic sleep deprivation. Lack of sleep leads to health conditions and low productivity in general.
Your room should be a place of peace and tranquility, but first, it needs to get organized. Use these seven tips to take control of your bedroom environment and regain control over your sleep and productivity.
1. Start With a Nightstand
Your day begins and ends in your bed, so it’s essential to have a nightstand nearby. For some people, as long as they have a flat surface big enough to hold their phone, they’re happy.
But if you’re looking to improve your organization, this is not the mindset for you. Your nightstand is going to be the tool you use to start and finish your day on the right note, so you’ll need to use it smartly.
If you need to get a new nightstand, look for one that has a combination of drawers and flat surfaces. This will let you keep your immediate necessities at your fingertips and hide everything else.
When you straighten up your bedside table, only the bare minimum should be visible on the surface. Things like your phone and charger, a lamp, and your alarm clock can stay out.
Store everything else inside the nightstand drawers. That includes your current reading material, medications, tissues, an emergency flashlight, and anything else you want nearby.
It’s okay to have a lot in your drawers, as long as you use dividers. These will keep everything from jostling around. Try using bins for the little things.
2. Make Use of the Space Under Your Bed
Is the area under your bed wasted space, occupied only by dust bunnies and imaginary boogeymen?
Keep these unwanted visitors out from under your bed by storing your totes and boxes there instead.
You can find plastic totes narrow enough to slide easily in the limited space below your mattress frame. Even better, some of them are on wheels for quick access.
Tuck anything that you don’t need regularly away under your bed in organized vacuum-sealed bags and totes. When you’ve finished with that, cover your new hideaway with a bed skirt!
Related: 6 Studio Organization Tactics for a Cleaner Year
3. Limit What You Allow Around You
Experts warn that a cluttered bedroom makes it difficult to get a peaceful night of sleep. Your brain processes its environment until your eyes close, and even then, your other senses are still alert.
When you fall asleep in a messy room, it plays havoc on your mind. Clutter stresses your brain with too many stimuli, and this stress continues as you try to sleep.
So what are you supposed to do if you have a lot of stuff and nowhere else to put it?
Well, it’s okay to have a lot in your room — as long as you contain it.
Most people store their collections in their bedrooms, like figurines and photographs. If you have a lot, space them out so that your brain has visual stopping points to rest.
Not everything has to be visible. Use your flat surfaces to hold some decorative baskets and organizers to keep clutter under control.
As you resituate things, remind yourself that the goal is to limit what your brain is processing in the evenings.
4. Organize Your Dresser
Stuffed or overflowing dresser drawers result in a frustrating mess.
There’s a trick to folding your clothes efficiently. They teach it at retail stores around the world, and you can learn it, too.
If you’re not excited about learning the proper way to fold clothes, use those same drawer dividers you grabbed for your nightstand!
Once your drawers are under control, tackle the top of your dresser. Downsize what you keep stored up there. It, like your bedside table, should hold essentials, not serve as a catchall.
Related: 13 Studio Organization Apartment Tips for a Cleaner Year
5. Get Some Shelves
Room organization ties tightly to the amount of shelf space you have. If you don’t have anywhere to put your stuff, it gravitates toward the same areas every time.
Getting more shelf space separates your stuff and makes efficient use of the wall space you have. If you can’t hang floating shelves because you’re renting, buy ladder shelves that go with your room’s style.
The more staggered shelving you have, the less overwhelming your things are to your senses.
6. Purchase Hidden Storage
Underneath your bed is not the only place you can hide your things. Dual-purpose furniture in the bedroom adds a homey touch and more storage room.
A trunk at the foot of the bed or an ottoman with hidden compartments can serve as extra seats and extra space.
Bedside caddies hold your remote and reading material and keep them from cluttering up your nightstand.
Wherever you see more cluttered areas in your room, there are functional furnishings to take care of it!
Related: 5 Unique Approaches to Get More Organized [in Under 10 Minutes]
7. Decorate with Purpose
As you decide on your decor scheme, keep in mind that you’re trying to limit the effect of clutter on your senses. You can still decorate, but be purposeful in what you choose.
As an example, throw pillows are pretty but not very functional. If you must have them, keep them tucked away in baskets by your bed when they’re not in use.
Your decor can double as organizational strategy. Artsy trays look tasteful on a dresser and hold your jewelry.
Coat Stands are trendy and functional. Put one in the corner of your room to contain your purses, scarves, and other accessories in one organized place.
Related: How to Create a Chill Vibe in Your Bedroom
Conclusion
Organizing your bedroom to improve your productivity doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it’s easy once you know that the goal of your actions is to reduce clutter and unnecessary stimulus to your brain.
With these targets in mind, you can quickly adjust your room to improve your sleep quality and streamline your day. Better productivity is a natural byproduct!