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Now that the holidays are behind us, we can focus our free time on other goals and activities. A good one to tackle is an organized home.  

Most people will admit that they feel better when they鈥檙e in a clean, organized space. But did you know that a clean house can actually help move you toward a clean bill of health?  

It turns out that organizing areas like your home and workspace comes with health benefits. Here are a few ways getting organized can make a healthier, happier you. 

Why getting organized is good for you 

You鈥檒l get a workout. Need an alternative to hitting the gym? Cleaning not only brings you peace of mind, but it is great physical activity. House cleaning can burn more than 100 calories per hour, and moving heavy items and boxes can burn two to three times as much. 

You may sleep better. A clean and well-ordered space can contribute to better sleep. Clearing the 鈥渧isual noise鈥� helps you relax, while piles of clothes or papers may make you feel more anxious. 

You鈥檒l choose to be better. Being organized helps you improve the choices you make. A study in Psychological Science suggests that working at a clean desk may promote healthier eating. Prior research found that clean environments encourage people to do good things, such as not littering and being more generous toward others. 

How you can tackle organization

Thinking about getting organized is easy to do, but putting it into practice can be hard. To make it easier for you, we鈥檝e pulled together four tips for tidying up: 

1. Make a plan. If you are cleaning a space, don鈥檛 start by buying a bunch of organizational containers. You need to focus on what you want to accomplish first. Make a game plan and start small. Jumping from room to room in your house, or drawer to drawer in your desk, may thwart your plans before you鈥檝e really started.  
2. Clear the clutter. Once you鈥檝e figured out where to begin and gathered some supplies (such as a garbage bag for trash), it鈥檚 time to decide what stays and what goes. Make separate piles for keepers, trash and donations. Ask yourself if an item fulfills a purpose, or if it鈥檚 a duplicate of something you already have.  
3. Put it in its place. Next you need to put items where they belong. For items you don鈥檛 need on a daily basis, store them in containers. (Now is the time to buy some if you need them.) For items like medical records and bills, you鈥檒l be shredding some and filing others. If you don鈥檛 have a filing cabinet, try using a portable filing box. 
4. Work as you go. Deal with clutter as it happens. One major culprit is mail. Handle it each day as it comes in, or consider going paperless and filing copies in folders on your computer. For your daily life, a physical or digital calendar can keep you from missing appointments. Find a system that works, then stick with it. 

Want to make more positive changes?  

It鈥檚 never too late to set positive goals for your life. Check out four other tips that encourage happiness.