Wondering why you just can’t seem to stick to those home organizing and decluttering practices you’ve read online? Maybe it’s because you’ve been following a method that’s unsuitable for you.
Did you know… just as left and right-handedness stems from being right or left brained, the way your brain processes and handles clutter varies based on brain dominance as well.
Tailoring your organizing style to your brain dominance can make home organizing and decluttering easier. Read on to discover what works best for right and left brainers, and try out our brain dominance test as well!
Traits of Left & Right Brainers
Left brainers are typically logical and methodical individuals and may already find organizing easy with their love for order.
Right brainers are free spirited and creative, choosing to take things as they come. Right brainers typically struggle with organizing and decluttering more.
Are You Left Or Right Brained?
Not sure if you’re a left or right brainer? Complete this quick quiz to find out, and then read on for organization tips specific to your brain dominance!
Click here to download a copy of the quiz.
For those who have equal left and right brain dominance, you’re lucky enough to be able to enjoy the best of both worlds. Switch between both left and right brained methods, sticking to those that you feel most comfortable with.
Now that you’ve determined if you’re a left or right brainer, let’s find out more about the traits of each dominant side and how they can help you effectively declutter and organize!
Right Brainer As An Organizer
You are a visually driven individual who loves to give in to bursts of creativity and spontaneity. You process information in images, often seeing the big picture rather than individual details.
As an organizer, your style tends towards the creative and emotional. Thus, right brainers often go with an ‘Everything Out’ organizing style, where items are piled up in the open so they will hopefully not be forgotten. You may find yourself easily distracted, getting emotional and sentimental during the decluttering process.
Organizing & Decluttering Tips To Match A Right Brainer’s Organizing Style
Your organizing style should play upon your creative strengths. Learn to embrace a unique organizing style, even if others may not understand it!
1. Take pictures of items with sentimental value
Right brainers are emotional by nature and may find letting go of items with sentimental value very difficult. Try taking a picture of the item for remembrance’s sake and then use the KonMari method to question if the item still sparks joy. If it does not, it’s time to let it go.
Also check out on StyleMag: 5 Simple Steps To Decluttering – The Japanese Way
2. Have an open storage system
Using clear or translucent storage bins allow you to see everything at a glance so you feel more organized. This plays on your appreciation for visual cues and ability to see the big picture.
The kitchen is a wonderful place to try out an open storage system as well! Some ways you can achieve this would be by taking the doors off upper cabinets for greater visibility, or perhaps adding wall-mounted open shelving to keep items on display.
3. Use colour strategies to organize
Image source: Old Boxes
As creative individuals, right brainers love colours! Organize by assigning colours to specific purposes. For instance, use bins that are colour coded so you know what its contents are immediately. You may also find arranging your clothes and accessories by colour particularly satisfying.
4. Adapt to your clutter patterns
Instead of trying to change your haphazard clutter patterns, declutter by making the spot a permanent home for your items. For instance, if you tend to leave your accessories lying around the bathroom, try putting up a visually appealing wall organizer to keep the mess contained.
Left Brainer As An Organizer
You are an individual who thrives on details and having a plan. Your rational and linear thought process makes organizing natural and even easy for you!
As an organizer, your style tends towards order and structure, such as a ‘Nothing Out’ organizing style that ensures everything is put away and spaces are always clean. Putting things back in their place gives you clarity of thought and peace of mind. When your space is cluttered or messy, you may feel frustrated.
Organizing & Decluttering Tips To Match A Left Brainer’s Organizing Style
As a natural organizer, use your love for neat spaces to motivate you to declutter and improve your organization systems!
1. Plan before decluttering & organizing
As a left brainer, logical step-by-step procedures and lists feed your urge for order. While you may find it hard to create a mess in the process of decluttering, let having a plan comfort you. Subdivide big organizational projects into smaller ones, and make use of useful computerised planning and scheduling tools as well.
For instance, you can try these 3 simple steps to help you break a big task down into manageable bite-sized ones:
- Create a mindmap, putting the task in the main bubble and then branching out into the various smaller tasks needed to achieve the big task. Continue branching out into smaller tasks on sub-branches that still seem unmanageable.
- Arrange all the smaller tasks in chronological order leading up to the big task.
- Set measurable milestones for the smaller tasks to help you stay motivated and on track!
2. Use hidden organizational products
A left brainer’s tendency to leave nothing out may lead to items being stored away in cupboards or drawers hastily and without much order to it. Try investing in boxes or containers that are stackable or organizational products that can be hidden from view to keep things organized behind the scenes.
3. Try labels
Labelling your items will help you keep track of what and where things are, especially since things are typically hidden away. This also ensures family members are able to put items back in their original place, avoiding any angst the mess would have caused you!
Decluttering and organizing is no easy feat, but we hope understanding your brain dominance was useful in developing a personalized organizing style. Remember, there is no ‘correct’ way to organize and declutter, so make sure to always embrace what makes you feel comfortable and happy at home.
Let us know in the comments below if you are a left or right brainer and which tip you found helpful!
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