Can you cut 1 Tonne of carbon pollution out of your life?
Take the challengeLife's messy enough without your whole life feeling disorganised. As a self-confessed "neat freak", I like to have everything in its proper place (although I'm known to leave a basket of clean washing neglected for days on end, or a cup of tea left, forgotten, at my desk).
Even if you're not fussed about being super organised, it can be therapeutic to fix your messiest habits and create a clean canvas for your life. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Get your home looking neat and tidy
A tidy space means a tidy mind, just ask anyone who's living in a cluttered and cramped (or trying to work in one). By clearing the decks, you can help yourself to feel more relaxed and more organised: even something as simple as making your bed can make a space look neater and give you a boost of productivity.
Start by wiping down surfaces and getting some fresh, clean smells happening with this DIY all-purpose cleaner made from citrus peel. Next, help yourself (and your family) get into better eating habits by making sure that your fridge is organised and stocked with nutritious goodies.
For lots of other cleaning needs, you can use items from your kitchen cupboard such as bi-carb soda (aka magical powder).
Wishing for a change? If you don't have the budget for home improvement, check out these tips for thrifty upgrading that can help you make your space look bright and new without the price tag.
Work life, simplified
Get organised for the working week by stocking up on these all-natural snacks that you can make at home and grab on the go! Never find yourself with a grumbling tummy at a 3pm meeting ever again.
It's also great to get into the habit of preparing and packing your own lunch from home (not to mention healthier and less expensive than getting takeaway). Don't worry: it doesn't have to be complicated! Check out these awesome ideas to get you started.
Make this gorgeous felt tote bag to keep your keys, wallet, phone and other on-the-go bits and bobs in one place. Bonus: you will get lots of envious looks on the train if you're holding this stunner.
Get the junk out of your life
Last year I reduced the amount of "stuff" that I own by about half… and it feels so, so good. No longer do I have so much junk clogging up my life and getting in the way of the things that I actually care about.
Read about how to get started with changing your point of view here in my article about KonMari cleaning (the idea of getting rid of what doesn't bring you joy).
Don't forget to be planet-conscious when you're tidying up: learn how to dispose of old tech waste such as computers and cables. Also find out how to dispose of out-of-date and old medicines safely in order to keep yourself and others safe.
When it comes to tidying out your wardrobe, consider how you can reuse or donate old clothes, for example, there might be some great bits and bobs that can be donated to animal shelters.
Cut down on rubbish
Rubbish can clutter up your home, car, bag and entire life if you're not careful, so do something for yourself (and the planet) by reducing the amount of waste that you're bringing into your life. Start with easy switches for single-use plastics such as a reusable cup instead of takeaway coffee cups, or a refillable water bottle instead of the disposable kind.
Always ending up with sad and soggy fruit and vegetables at the back of your fridge? Learn how to manage food waste (and why it's important for the environment).
You can also check out this list of items you might not know that you can compost. You might discover that you're sending compost ingredients to landfill!
Fix it all up
It's hard to feel on top of things when you've got a cupboard hanging off its hinges, a leaky tap and a crack in your wall. Rediscover the lost art of repair with this awesome guide to getting started.
You might also like to have a go at repairing your clothes (way easier than it sounds) and even keep a DIY repair kit on hand for button emergencies. For clothes that are truly lost causes, consider how you can turn them into something useful.
Do you have any tips to share? Add your own tips in the comments below!
Try this next: How to make homemade citrus cleaner
Images: Shutterstock
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