1. Organize Eating

If shedding clothing layers has you thinking about shedding some bad habits and maybe a few pounds, take a look at your kitchen. It’s the first stop in developing healthy eating habits. Having an organized kitchen and pantry sets you up for a healthier lifestyle! Here are a few strategies to get you on the right path.

Pantry purge

Clear that clutter! Toss expired food, spices and stale half-bags and give away what you and your family won’t eat. While you’re at it, maybe get rid of those Oreos and make a home for natural snacks like nuts or real veggie chips. If you’re really feelin’ fancy, get some containers and labels! Check out this pantry makeover.

Fresh produce

Eating healthy is doubly difficult if it isn’t convenient! Do yourself a favor and make fresh fruits and veggies grab-and-go ready. It’s much easier to snack on strawberries or carrots and hummus when they are prepped and ready. Pack those healthy munchies in containers and place in the fridge where you can easily grab one, and voila! An easy, healthy, organized grab-and-go snack.  

Incorporate more produce into your meals by prepping at the beginning of the week. For example, when you get home from the grocery store, chop fruits and veggies you plan to use in your meals and divy them up, into small, reusable containers—and they’ll be ready to toss into any meal. 

Water, water everywhere

Get that Diet Coke out of the house and give your body what it needs: water! Or give iced tea a try. Keep a pitcher of fresh water on the counter where it reminds you to take a drink. For extra credit, slice up some lemons or cucumbers and give your H2O a little pizzazz. If you’re on the go all day, consider investing in a metal, vacuum-sealed water bottle to have ice-cold, refreshing water all summer-day long.

2. Organize Exercising

Living an active lifestyle doesn’t require daily devotion to the gym, but it does require a little organization (and motivation).

Plan exercise that’s enjoyable

Make exercise easy for yourself! I finally admitted to myself that I don’t like my gym. So I did something radical and quit the gym! Instead I’m taking yoga and dance classes that inspire me. 

A workout app like ClassPass can help you see all the available classes in your area. At the beginning of the week, choose your schedule. It’ll be a lot easier to stick to a routine if your exercise is something you enjoy. Yoga not your jam? We love a post-supper summer stroll or a talk-and-walk date with your hubby or a friend.

Organize your clothes

Only wear the workout clothes you feel good in and that you can get to easily. If getting dressed to go to the gym is also a chore, how likely will it be that you keep it up? Sort through your workout clothes, toss the old and ill-fitting, and make them more accessible. Give them their own drawer instead of relegating yoga pants to the bottom of your spouse’s sock bin, and try laying out your workout clothes the night before to make them easy to grab for your groggy self when you’re getting up for sunrise yoga.

Make a plan and make it social

You’re far more likely to exercise or go to the gym if you schedule it into your day and involve a friend to keep you accountable. Tell a friend (or better yet, a gym instructor!) when you plan on coming and keep your promises. It may be just what your friend needs to boost their health as well.

3. Organize Household Expenses

Summer vacation is often stuffed full of summer organization projects instead of summer fun-in-the-sun. Try this: make home projects manageable by taking on smaller, bite-sized projects. 

Here are a few low-key projects and decluttering tips that can have a big impact:

Open all those doors

Go through bathroom cabinets and drawers. We’d bet what you find will surprises (for the good and for the gross!). Even a 10 minute tidy can make a big difference in these small spaces. Check out this bathroom cabinet makeover.

Let there be light

Change those lights bulbs that have been out for who knows how long. While you’re fishing through your light bulb stash, let’s get those bulbs in order. Group all like light bulbs together and put them in their own container. Slap a label on it and next time you need to change a bulb you won’t have to sort through a frustrating mess! For extra earth points, swap out bulbs for LEDs and never replace a lightbulb again. Don’t forget to properly dispose of those bulbs (check your neighborhood for special hazardous waste days).

Tupperware purge

Match lids, toss the misfits, and get rid of the stained. Consider an upgrade and swap out plastic for glass with locking lids. Don’t forget to organize your water bottles while you’re at it. Sort them and keep them accessible so you aren’t tempted to grab a Coke instead of H2O.

Make a plan—and go easy on yourself

Facing the task of getting and staying organized can be incredibly difficult, especially during life’s seasons of change. Don’t wait to get help! You deserve to have the organization you desire. Recruit a friend, wrangle a buddy or maybe consider hiring a professional organizer. 

If you (or your spouse!) need a little extra help, give us a call! As a member of the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals, we’re pros. A quick chat is free and could be the boost you need for a summer empty of clutter and full of healthy organization.

4. Organize Your Schedule

Summer days are longer, but they don’t have to feel longer. Kids thrive on a schedule, and adults are no different! It just takes a little discipline to manage your time in order to make the most of your summer.

Organize your days

Planning your summer days may seem like a headache, but we promise it will save you many headaches and make for a full, enjoyable summer! 

Every Sunday, sit down with your family (or yourself!) and have a short planning meeting with calendar or planner in hand. Quickly go through everyone’s schedule and must-do’s. Once those are on the calendar, ask what everyone would like to do this week or in the coming weeks. Hit the pool? Go camping? Kick off a Friends marathon? Pencil things in where they work, then refer to the calendar all week long to stay organized and involved in the things you love.

Create a routine

Having a routine fills us with purpose and makes it easier to make healthy habits. Our minds and bodies perform best when we get enough sleep and when we wake up around the same time every morning, so dust off your alarm and stick to a routine. Perhaps your routine goes something like this: wake up, do household chores, plan dinner, hit the gym, run an errand, then head home and have an afternoon of spontaneity until dinner at 7.

We bet you’ll be able to squeeze in that beach trip as well as clean out the garage and finish your reading list if you plan ahead just a little. And best yet, when September rolls around, getting back on schedule will be easy as pie.

5. Organize Screen-Free Time

We saved the most important tip for last: make the most of this summer by planning ahead to put your phone down, turn the TV off, and spend quality time with those you love. Summer gifts us extra time to spend with loved ones, but are we taking advantage of it?

Current research shows that bright little screens are the largest things standing between us and the ones we love, so put your phone down for a few hours a day! Like our other tips, this will take a little planning and self discipline. In fact, you may find this to be the hardest organizational tip of all! 

When you plan your day and routine (see tip 4!), plan specific times to be screen-free. We suggest dinner time, driving in the car with your significant other or kids, and the hour before bedtime. These are great times to talk, to connect, and to be present. Healthy relationships are the most important part of this year’s summer wellness.

Summer wellness is within your reach! Try out just 1 of these tips (or all 5!) and boost your summer health and organization. We know it can be difficult; that’s why we are here to support your every effort! Subscribe today and get organization and decluttering tips all year round. Enjoy the rest of the season—and good luck at that family reunion!