We are now a few days into November, which means the busy holiday season is upon us. While this is an exciting, busy, and happy time for many, it also can be several weeks overstuffed with stress and chaos.
I have found that when I start to feel the effects of too many events on the calendar, I turn to regaining control of my life by way of cleaning and decluttering. Few things help me to relax and calm down more than putting away visible clutter and getting everything back in its place.
There are a few posts on my blog that discuss how I have learned to declutter (and therefore, destress) from Allie Casazza. Prior to our move, I tackled nearly every room in our house to ruthlessly purge everything we didn’t want to take with us, and I could not have been happier.
I have only just begun to play ‘NSYNC’s Christmas album, yet I am already feeling a little hot flashy and itchy when I think about everything we have going on between now and New Year’s Eve. I desperately want to enjoy this time with my precious kiddos, and I know that keeping my stress and anxiety at bay will be super important in the coming weeks.
When feelings overwhelm and panic started to take over today, I went to my pantry and got a trash bag. I decided to take back some control and do a “3-Pass.”
What is a “3-Pass?”
Put your Disney app away, Ladies. It’s not a Fast-Pass (although I feel like I could utilize the Fast-Pass system so much in my non-Disney life— skip to the front of the checkout at Target, anyone?).
A “3-Pass” is a quick cleaning and decluttering method I invented to help keep our busy house of 6 under control. I go through each room of the house (all bathrooms included) three times. I spend under a minute in each room, moving quickly and efficiently. Each pass, I have a different mission. I don’t stray from what I am there to do. I don’t dive into recorganizing closets or any other daunting task. I keep it simple and fast.
First Pass: Throw away any trash. This is why I get a big trash bag before I begin. I empty all trash cans from the bathrooms, look for any candy wrappers under the girls’ beds, pitch any scrap pieces of paper, recycle any water bottles, etc. I am not allowed to do anything else while I am in each room. Just get the trash and get out.
Second Pass: Remove any items from the room that belong in a different room. My girls occasionally drag toys into their room that belong downstairs. Sometimes coats and shoes are left in the living room when they should be in the mud room. Water cups get taken to all corners of the house. During the second pass, I collect the misplaced items on our table, sort them according to where they need to be returned, and then I usually enlist the help of our girls to get the items to their homes, especially if it is their toys and books and coats that need to be put away.
Third Pass: Clear the surfaces. I learned a long time ago that one of the best things you can do when you want to declutter but don’t know where to start is to just clear the surfaces. Dressers, end tables, coffee tables, vanities, counters – stow the papers away, store the toiletries sitting in the cabinet, put the books back on the shelf. If you must have little items sitting out on a piece of furniture, use a bowl or a plate to collect all the things together. It is truly a breath of fresh air when you can look around a room and see clean, clear surfaces.
I spent about 45 minutes doing this “3-Pass” method today, and I felt so accomplished and refreshed by the end. My mind felt sharper and I didn’t feel consumed by clutter.
Life is going to be bustling for the next couple of months, but it doesn’t mean that you have to lose control of your house and life. Small steps add up to big progress, and something as simple as a weekly “3-Pass” can really help keep you sane.
Now about my Starbucks Drive-Thru Fast-Pass…
