A therapist told me this home organization hack can 'lower your mental load.' I tried it and here's why you should, too
I grew up with a mom who I would describe as the world's most organized person. My mom, a retired school principal and self-proclaimed neat freak, kept our home meticulously organized. Every gizmo and gadget has its place in my parents' home, a rule that, until recently, I adopted in my own space.
Despite my best efforts, my home is more disorganized than I would like to admit. I live in a small apartment and own a lot of stuff (a side effect of the job, you know?), which means it can easily become cluttered. The more disorganized my space, the more stressed out I become.
"Clutter is emotional and when our homes feel chaotic, our brains absorb that stress," Anita Yokota, a licensed therapist and interior designer, tells Yahoo Canada.
"Research has shown that disorganized spaces can increase cortisol, the body's main stress hormone, and drain our ability to focus or make decisions. That's why labelling your pantry or tidying a drawer can feel like a breath of fresh air... It's actually lowering your mental load."
When my space becomes overly cluttered and messy, it can feel overwhelming. Not only is a disorganized space stressful to live and work in, but for some, it can heighten feelings of depression and anxiety. That's why, for me, it's essential to stay on top of my cleaning routine.
"There's fascinating research that supports what I call the 'emotional blueprint' of space," Yokota says. "Studies show that having control over your environment (even something as small as deciding where things go or how to label them) can help reduce anxiety and improve emotional regulation.
So yes, there's science behind it, but more importantly, there's a deep emotional benefit that people feel almost immediately."
Yokota, the author of Home Therapy, says that organizing your space is "one of the fastest ways to shift how you feel in your home."
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"It boosts productivity by cutting down on all the tiny decisions that drain your energy," she says.
Organizing your space "creates calm," Yokota tells Yahoo Canada. "Our brains are constantly scanning our environment, and when there's visual clutter, it sends a low-level signal that something's off. When your space is organized, it tells your body that you're safe and you can relax."
If you're struggling with anxiety or feeling overwhelmed, Yokota recommends organizing and using devices like a label maker to create structure in your space.
"For busy parents, clear labels mean fewer questions, less decision-making, and more independence for everyone in the house. And for anyone navigating anxiety, even just knowing where things go can create a sense of control in a world that often feels unpredictable."
Whether you're organizing your junk drawer, kitchen pantry or filing cabinet, using a label maker is an easy way to create structure, no matter how small it may seem.Best made-in-Canada cleaning brands to clean your bathroom, laundry room, kitchen & more
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In my home, I use a label maker to organize my large storage bins, so I know exactly where items like Christmas decorations, winter boots, gift wrapping paper, and extra cords are stored. Yokota recommends using a label maker for spaces like your kitchen, where you can use it for best-before dates and labelling freezer leftovers, as well as in your storage room. If you live with a messy partner or small children, a label maker can be particularly handy.
To help keep the clutter at bay, I've rounded up five items that reviewers swear by for a clean, mess-free home. I've included Yokota's label maker of choice — the Brother P-touch PT-N10 Personal Handheld Label Maker Machine — plus other gadgets that my fellow clean freaks may find useful.
"Labelling and organizing might seem small, but they create structure and our brains crave structure," Yokota tells Yahoo Canada. "For busy parents, clear labels mean fewer questions, less decision-making, and more independence for everyone in the house. And for anyone navigating anxiety, even just knowing where things go can create a sense of control in a world that often feels unpredictable."
The Brother P-touch PT-N10 Label Maker is easy to use (even for little ones) and can quickly create custom, colourful labels for anything and everything in your home. The device offers a large selection of fonts and symbols and has a LCD screen so that you can preview labels before pressing print.
If your kitchen drawers look like a bomb went off, this 9-in-1 drawer organizer could be your new favourite thing. The set includes three foil, plastic, and wax dispensers with cutters, as well as specific storage spaces designed for different-sized plastic bags. It also comes with an additional storage box for bits and bobs like elastic bands, strings, paper clips and twist ties.
If the sight of one more dangling cord is enough to send you over the edge, you might want to pick up a pack of these cord covers. The large cord hiders are designed to conceal cables such as HDMI cables, Ethernet cables, optical cables, and USB cables. Importantly, it has also passed a plastics flammability test, ensuring it's safe for your space.
This two-tier organizer is designed for your bathroom, but you can use it anywhere you need a little structure, such as your pantry, laundry room, or makeup corner. Stacked in two layers, the top drawer can support up to 15 lbs and the overall unit measures just 11.8" L x 7.5" W x 10" H, so it can easily fit under your sink or in tight spaces.
Piles of shoes are the absolute worst. You can avoid the chaos with these clear, stackable boxes. Each box features a magnetic door and the boxes easily connect, so you don't have to worry about them wobbling and falling over.
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