Not too long ago we talked about how to realize your idea of creating a workshop in your garage, to make space for all of your favorite projects and create a haven for your crafts.
Whilst we mentioned how important it is to declutter and organize however, we would like to take some time to elaborate this a bit further.
If you have a workshop that is often cluttered and chaotic, you might find that this impacts your work in more ways than one.
Not only will this make it harder to carry out your projects due to not finding tools or utensils or not having enough space on your work desk for example, but you might also find that it takes its toll mentally and creates stress and anxiety while you are at home.
This is why it is so important to have a neat, tidy and organized space for you to work out of.
The Benefits of Decluttering
Studies show that decluttering your environment can help you to feel calmer and happier. Not only this, but decluttering can also help to lift productivity and improve your concentration levels.
This means that decluttering is worthwhile for your workspace because you should find that it improves your performance as well as how you feel while you are working.
However, it is worth mentioning that a pinch of chaos still enhances creativity and forming ideas for some.
But for most of us, it will enhance the feeling of being in control over our environment; creating a tabula rasa that enables us to focus and work on the task we set ourselves on, instead of distracting us with the bits and bobs that are scattered around us.
It will also benefit our health; especially in places where a lot of debris or particles are entering the air – like a creative workspace.
Dust, chippings, paint particles, or even worse spores of mold or mildew are happy to gather around cluttered spaces that aren’t touched in a while and evolve into sometimes serious risks to our well-being.
Having control and a good overview of spaces and corners that need to be cleaned will result in better air quality and health.
How to Declutter
It is clear that decluttering your workshop could be a great way to reduce stress and improve your performance, but how can you go about doing this?
Getting started is often the hardest part, especially when you have tools, materials, and documents strewn all over the place.
To get started, you should break your workshop down into areas and then spend time going through each section.
You should put your items into piles of items to keep, throw away, recycle and sell online (a great way to make some extra cash).
We know that a lot of items will carry sentimental value to you, but don’t worry, there are great ways to help you decide what to keep and how to let go.
However, as with every new habit that you are building up, it is important to start small.
It is too easy to get overwhelmed when looking at the big picture, so pick something with a manageable amount of items or area – like a single shelf or even a single drawer.
Hopefully, the success and feeling after sorting this out will motivate you to keep going!
Use Smart Storage Solutions
Sorting things out is great, but in order to keep your things in order and kept away when not needed is to have a dedicated place for everything: the key to an organized workshop and for keeping the space tidy is storage.
There are many excellent storage solutions that you can use in the garage that can keep everything neat, organized and easily accessible.
This should include a tool storage cabinet that will keep your tools safe, tidy, and easy to reach when you need them, shelves – and even hooks for the walls for bigger equipment like gardening tools for example.
Boxes, especially transparent ones, can easily create a feeling of order, whilst providing the benefit of quickly being able to see what is inside and find what you need.
Clear plastic storage bins with lids can oftentimes be neatly stacked on top of each other as well and be a pegboard for various tools.
You can even use the ceiling for storing items that you don’t need regular access to, such as a ladder and seasonal sports equipment.
When in need of inspiration, the internet – as always – is going to be your friend.
Create a Floor Plan
You will also find it helpful to create a floor plan for the newly organized workshop.
This will help you to give everything a home and maximize the space that you have.
This floor plan should include having a desk area where you can complete your work, keeping large equipment in the corners of the space, and grouping items together, such as your gardening equipment.
A chaotic, cluttered workshop could be impacting your life in a number of ways in addition to looking shoddy.
Getting organized and decluttering this space should make it much easier to complete your projects, plus this should also help you to destress, improve your mood and concentration levels.
Create a space for yourself where you can relax and enjoy the time you are spending on a project – instead of entering a workshop that will leave you with a sense of discomfort.
And don’t forget you are creating this space solely for yourself – make it a priority to design it in a way that you are actually enjoying the time spent in it, doing the things you love.