Wardrobe in chaos?
Snowed under at work? Get organised (and make it look easy) with our expert
advice…
The world is full of
them: women who look put-together on the outside – throwing impeccable dinner
parties, biking for charity, running businesses – but who haven’t checked their
bank balance for eight months and carry a small junkyard around in their
handbag. “We all want to have our shit together,” says psychiatry professor Dr.
Julie Holland, “but we feel like our lives are out of control.” Here, our
experts shape up your closet, your desk… even your handbag!
First, fix your 5 organisational black holes
Wish every corner of
your place were Habitat-perfect? Get over it!, says Julie Morgenstern, author
of Never Check E-mail In The Morning. “Focus on things that trip you up
everyday,” she says. Target these five hotspot: places that make most women
feel more organised.
1. Your make-up bag
“You want
the daily things at your fingertips,” says Morgenstern. Throw out anything old,
then put the give to ten essentials in a basket within easy reach. Group
special occasion stuff by item – bold lipsticks, bright shadows – and stash
them in a closet.
2. Your front hall
“Create
storage where stuff lands. If you dump your bag by the kitchen, make a spot for
it there,” says Morgenstern. Designate drawers for your keys and phone.
3. Your fridge
It’s easy
to neglect this, but you are in there a few times a day. “Have a ruthless
clear- out,” says Morgenstern. Then organise by drinks, lunch and dinner
ingredients.
4. Your handbag
Have a
designated place for everything. “I use the zip pocket for keys, and I won’t
buy a bag without a phone pocket,” says Morgenstern. Tuck anything else, like
your ‘just in case’ extras – plasters, paracetamol – in a spare make-up bag.
5. Your wardrobe
Pudge
smartly: Elika Gibbs, stylist and author of Practical Princess, Perfect
Wardrobe, advises ditching anything that doesn’t fit, was a one-season wonder
or looks tired. “But if it was a major investment or there’s a chance you’ll
wear it again, get it cleaned and pop it into storage,” she adds.
Sort
what’s left: Gibbs files items by type, colour and print. “It’s easier to see
what you’ve got, which shocks you into shopping better; you think, ‘No, I don’t
need another black dress.’”
Streamline:
Store seasonal pieces on overhead shelves. Install hooks on doors for belts,
jewellery and scarves. And no wire hangers, says Morgenstern: you’ll just end up
wrestling with them (and they can make clothes lose their shape).
Get your work life in check
Yes, you can escape
from ‘I’m so behind’ mode. Here’s how:
· Figure out
when you’re most productive
If your day is
gobbled up by emails and meetings, spend a week writing down all the things you
do in a day, then look at your list to figure out when you got the most work
accomplished and when you got the most work accomplished and when distractions
happened, suggests psychologist Dr. Shelley Carson. Don’t try to fight it;
instead, work with it. Block a chunk of time in your calendfar to hunker down
and focus, and another for when you’re happy to answer emails or run down the
hall for an impromptu brainstorming session. “Since it’s your day, you should
decide where it goes,” Dr. Carson says. Another trick: tackle at least one big
project on your to-do list first thing in the morning, says Morgenstern. “If
your day goes to hell in a handbasket – and it will from time to time – you can
feel good that you got something done.”
· Clean your
desk after every big project
Your workspace
needn’t be perpetually spotless, but if you tidy up at key times – before you
start the next big assignment, say – you’ll feel refreshed abd rebooted. And
don’t feel required to colour-code every single folder; it’s OK to have
organised piles on your desk if that works for you, says Morgenstern. “A couple
of years ago, I realised I didn’t keep a very neat diary. I didn’t write
neatly, and the pages didn’t look neat, and I’m an organisation expert!” she
says. “But it works for me, and that’s all that really matters.”
· Ask for
help!
If you’re constantly
stressed, speak up before you have a meltdown. “I guarantee your boss
knows what overwhelmed feels like,” says Morgenstern. Work with her on
priorities based on what needs to be done right now.
Take a look at your money
Not sure where it all
goes? Join the club! Simple fixes:
1. Sign up for online
banking
“It’s a
great way to really feel in control of your finances,” says Sarah Rutherford,
former financial journalist and author of Women’s Work, Men’s Cultures.
You can move money between accounts – often within minutes – and keep an eye on
your account.
2. Start direct debits
Set your
account to pay the minimum due on your credit cards if you can’t cover the balance.
You can always pay them off in full (which is ideal, if you can) but at least
this way you’ll avoid late fees.
3. Check your balance
regularly
Log in to
your account at least once a week, says Rutherford, so you can rein in
overspending before the end of the month – when the net figure maybe a nasty
shock. “All those small purchases (or ones that seemed small at the time) can
add up to hundreds of pounds very quickly,” she adds.
And finally…
We all have moments
when we feel ‘blorft’, as Tina Fey defines it: “Completely overwhelmed but
proceeding as if everything is fine.” So just keep proceeding, and remember –
your messy life probably looks pretty put-together from the outside.
