Nothing can make you feel more stressed than an unorganized life. Clutter at home, at work, and in your social life can bring about upsetting shifts in your emotions, making you feel frazzled and unable to regain control. However, if you take the beginning of the year to get organized, you’re all but guaranteed a more successful year ahead.

• Look inward and outward at home. When everything in your home is chaotic and nothing has its place, it’s easy to neglect the responsibility of tidying up, telling yourself it would take too much time. But it’s critical to set aside time, even if just for small projects. By breaking your home into sections and tackling those sections individually, you can conquer the clutter without needing to set aside a whole week.
  
  Organizing doesn’t have to be all physical, though. Sometimes clutter in the home can cause mental stress for family members, too, so it’s a good idea to take stock once you’ve cleaned up and make time for family activities in your new, clean space.



• Work smarter, not harder. A messy desk, unorganized filing cabinets, and a disheveled inbox can wreak havoc on your productivity at work. It’s far easier to handle any task you’re thrown at the office when you don’t have to worry about digging around just to find what you need. Keeping important items in color-coded binders is a great place to start.
  
  When it comes to organizing your work computer, make sure you have a specific folder for every aspect of your work: important documents, past work, current projects, etc. It’s also wise to direct your emails into set folders as well to keep nonwork and work-related information separate.



• Unclutter your mind. When your home life and work life are more organized, you’re sure to feel much better about yourself. But a lot of what makes us feel in control and orderly comes from within, too. Try to start each day with mindful meditation, which can improve mental clarity and relaxation and can make you feel more empowered to take on the day ahead.
  
  Another way to organize your ideas is through journaling. Though not for everyone, keeping a private journal not only helps you to keep track of your thoughts and feelings in the present but also allows you to look back and see how you’ve progressed over time.

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Everyone could benefit from a little organization. Share these tips with friends and family to help them feel more in control of their lives.