5 tidying habits to quit for a happier, easier life – pick 'progress over perfection' rather than 'impossible standards' that make you miserable

If you're constantly in pursuit of a happier home life, chances are there are some tidying habits you'd be better off ditching.

Our pros say that if you do all the tidying by yourself or hide clutter in the pursuit of tidying perfection, these habits could be getting in the way of your dream home and impacting your happiness.

Learning with tidying habits to quit for good will help you enjoy the benefits of a tidy home without wasting any precious time or unnecessary energy, or falling into surface tidying rituals that will actually lead to a mess over the longer term.

5 tidying habits to quit today for a happier life

1. Thinking decluttering, organizing, and cleaning are the same thing

You might assume that decluttering, organizing and cleaning are all, there or thereabouts, the same thing. But, says Tracy McCubbin, CEO and founder of dClutterly, you'd be wrong.

'Let’s get one thing straight: these are not interchangeable,' she says. 'Decluttering is making decisions. Organizing is giving your stuff a home. Cleaning is wiping up the crumbs and scrubbing the baseboards.

'When you try to do all three at once, you get overwhelmed, distracted, and most likely end up sitting on the floor surrounded by old birthday cards, wondering where the time went.'

Conflating the three is also a surefire way to wind up trying to clean when feeling overwhelmed, declutter your home when you feel overwhelmed, or always feeling like you have to tidy when overwhelmed. So, how to overcome this?

'Break them up,' advises Tracy. 'Start with decluttering – always. Then organize. Then clean. One step at a time. It’s not just more efficient, it’s how you actually get it done.' This will make it easier to find the right cleaning balance in your home, too.

2. Hiding clutter

Di Ter Avest, professional organizer and founder of Diisorganized says as tempting as it may be to conceal clutter in plain sight, doing so simply puts off the task at hand.

'Shoving things into random bins might make the room look tidy for now, but it just delays the overwhelm,' she explains. 'Instead, try giving everything a clear home. Label it, group items together, and make it make sense for how you live.'

The Brother P-Touch Label Maker available at Walmart is a popular pick for organized shoppers.

3. Wasting time

While it's, of course, fine to use a bit of downtime here and there to get ahead of your chores, Heather Snaman, COO and co-owner of Queen of To Do, advises against wasting all your precious weekend time tackling housework.

'Your downtime is valuable and should be protected,' she says. 'Instead, use a Pomodoro Timer to schedule brief bursts of productivity every day. Spending 10-25 minutes each day keeps your space guest-ready and frees your weekends for activities that bring more joy than housework.'

She's right, too. I recently tried the Pomodoro Technique for spring cleaning and had great results. You can use an actual pomodoro timer for this, such as the Rotating Pomodoro Timer available at Amazon, or your phone will work just as well.

Alternatively, try other quick but effective methods like the scary hour technique, or use time-saving organizing tips to make your to-do list less overwhelming.

4. Believing your home has to be perfect all the time

There's nothing wrong with striving for perfection, but don't let it get in the way of being happier at home, says professional organizer Tracy.

'Listen, if your home looks perfect 24/7, one of two things is happening: you’re either not really living in it, or you’re spending every spare minute cleaning – and neither of those is the goal,' she says. 'A little mess? That means your home is being lived in. Dishes in the sink? You ate something. Shoes by the door? You left the house.

'Stop holding yourself to an impossible standard. Progress over perfection, always. A functional home beats a “perfect” one every time.'

Meghan Cocchiaro, founder and lead organizer at Organized by Meg, agrees, stressing that not everyone is well-suited to the level of micro-organizing needed to achieve a constantly tidy, perfect space. In fact, she says, it can sometimes make tidying items away impractical, or retrieving them harder than it should be.

'One example is breaking out pens, pencils, and markers in a junk drawer, when really you only need them grouped together in one drawer organizer,' she explains, such as the Simple Houseware Clear Drawer Organizer available at Amazon, which is ideal for conquering the dreaded junk drawer.

'Another example is decanting cereals and snacks in your pantry. Maintaining that system is a lot of work.

'A last example is putting things in containers with lids and stacking them, when really you need that item to be in a single, non-stacked, open bin [such as the ClearSpace Storage Bin available at Amazon] so you can easily pull in and out of it.'

5. Doing it all yourself

'This one’s a biggie,' says Tracy. 'If you live with other people and you’re the only one tidying, that’s not a system – that’s a problem.'

It's so easy to believe wholeheartedly in the 'If you want something done right, do it yourself mantra,' but, adds Tracy, you need to let go of the mantra that only you can do it 'right,' and split chores with a partner, family member or housemate for a happier life.

'Trust me, it doesn’t have to be perfect to be helpful,' continues Tracy. 'Teach your kids. Loop in your partner. Set expectations. Delegating doesn’t mean giving up control; it means creating a home where everyone is responsible. And guess what? That’s how you stop the clutter from piling back up.'

In a similar vein, professional organizer Heather recommends resisting the temptation to force unnecessary new habits, either in yourself or others. 'If you always set the mail down on your kitchen counter, forget trying to retrain yourself or your partner to put it on the desk,' she explains. 'Instead, find a way to work with the already-established habit with something like a simple countertop organizer.'

Heather recommends the BLU MONACO Mail Organizer available at Amazon for this, which is available in eight different colors to suit every space.

This solution is essentially the desire path decluttering method, which includes placing a storage solution in a common clutter hotspot. It's surprisingly effective at resolving persistent messes.

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Meet our experts

Di Ter Avest

Di has helped hundreds of clients rethink their relationship with clutter, including which tidying habits they're simply better off ditching.

Tracy McCubbin

With over 20 years of experience under her belt, Tracy knows which tidying habits aren't worth the time or effort.

Meghan Cocchiaro

Since being set up five years ago, Organized by Meg, an in-home full-service professional home organizing company, has helped busy women and families quit tidying habits that hinder their happiness.

Heather Snaman

Heather joined Queen of To Do in May 2021 as its first employee, bringing her technical expertise, process development skills, marketing acumen, and business knowledge to the company.

Could micro-resets be the key to a tidy home? Our experts agree they might just be.