A Note on Over-Containment
Have you ever heard of over-containment? It’s when you try to put TOO many containers in one space, so you end up reducing your usable space and creating a system of organization that is not sustainable. You might be surprised to hear this, but when I see pictures like the below, I shudder:
Really. Really?! Are people really supposed to strive to maintain these unrealistic standards of organization? I am here to tell you that the answer is no.
I sincerely believe that one of the reasons people feel so stressed out by even the thought of organizing their homes is that this is the image they are after. Of course you’re stressed! I am a professional organizer and this stresses me out. Are you really going to want to spend an hour pouring all your snack replenishments into these bins after each grocery trip? Are you really going to buy new plastic bins every time you want to try a new snack that’s a different shape than you planned for? And what about that little sliver of a plastic bin that is the perfect size for pouches. It’s so cute! It makes my pouches look so sweet and inviting! OK, but what happens when you no longer like pouches, or you run out, and now you have this tiny little container that’s good for holding exactly nothing else.
My advice for you? Keep. It. Simple. To get yourself organized, but not make yourself more stressed in doing so, keep these ideas in mind:
Use what you have! There is absolutely no reason to run to The Container Store or Home Goods at the drop of a hat. I guarantee you have some sort of organizing vessel already in your home. Start there, and then hit the store to fill in what you need.
Use my “Rule of Threes:” Try not to subdivide any given space into more than three parts. Once you get into four, five, six sections, each area can really only hold 3 cherry tomatoes or a handful of hair ties, and that’s helpful to no one.
And finally, remember what the goal is at the end of the day: to make your life EASIER! Organizing your home into a space that functions for you and makes tasks easier, quicker, and more efficient is the goal. If spending hundreds of dollars on uniform plastic bins--and hours and hours refilling those bins (or failing to fill them because, exhaustion)--isn’t making your life easier, then forget it.
What do you do when you see pictures like this? Groan in horror or jump for joy?