Adding This Simple Task To Your Daily Routine Will Help Keep Your Home Decluttered

What's the first thing you do when you walk in your door after a long day? Usually, it's to put your keys and the mail down. Your keys may have a hook or bowl on a table where you keep them, but where does your mail go? Admit it — it ends up in a pile on a table or counter. And if you have school-age kids, their daily papers only add to the pile. It's no secret paper clutter can easily take over your home and can quickly become overwhelming and even stressful. But the simple habit of sorting paper every night can help ensure it doesn't become a part of your deep cleaning chores later on.

One of the easiest solutions to the paper pile-up is to have a designated dump area. Choose one single spot for all incoming items — it can be as simple as a basket, tray, or small inbox. A dump area combined with a daily clean-out is one of those simple cleaning hacks that will keep your home tidy, and it makes sorting through your paper pile feel manageable rather than overwhelming. Declutter paper items now for a cleaner, tidier home, saving you time for things you actually enjoy doing on the weekend. It will also make your routine deep cleaning a lot less time consuming.

Why is it so easy to develop bad habits but not so easy to develop good ones? Psychology tells us it is because we receive instant gratification from bad habits — whereas we usually don't see a reward for good habits until long after the action. Therefore, one key to getting paper clutter under control is to associate an instant reward with the behavior. You will need a task that brings you happiness that you can only do once your sorting is complete (for instance, eating your favorite dessert).

The other key to developing this habit is to designate a space to sort your daily mail and paperwork. Try to keep your system simple (preferably near your entryway). It doesn't have to be expensive either — you can use items from the Dollar Tree to make mail clutter a thing of the past. The easiest method is two bins: one for paperwork coming in and another for papers that need to go out. You should also keep a small garbage bin and shredder nearby to dispose of junk mail or items that you no longer need. Take 15 minutes to empty purses of receipts, go through your mail, empty backpacks, and throw out anything you no longer need.

Whatever reward method you choose, you will need to do that immediately after finishing your 15-minute paper sort. Repeat this method every day at the same time, and it should start to become easier and more of a habit. Over time, this small daily routine will keep your home decluttered without any extra effort.