Covid-19 Idea: Organizing Your Space

Jay Bell

My kids just did a big chore, helped me out, and liked it?!?! Wow.

​Covid-19 has created challenges around food and left us spending much more time at home. Perhaps you’ve accumulated more nonperishable food to survive the ups and downs of the food supply that’s not well stored. Or perhaps there’s the occasional messy area that becomes more of an eyesore when you’re home so much. Organizing an area can be an opportunity to feel better about your little corner of the world

Before Covid-19, we had nonperishables stored in the garage, alongside paint and, well... junk.

My kids organized our nonperishables, and more of the garage, maximizing space and being clear what we do - and don't - need to buy.

If you have kids, then giving them some guidelines and allowing them to 

organize can offer several benefits: it’s a way for them to genuinely contribute to the family; ​for them to do something casually physical; it’s an exercise in spatial relations, so has an intellectual value; it gives them input into their world, through their decisions; and the project-based activity helps them focus and have an accomplishment at the end. Having them show and explain what they did further engages them and offers opportunity for pride at achieving a goal.

If you don’t have kids, this can still be helpful. If it’s food organization, it helps you figure out what you do (and don’t) need. For nonperishable items that you might stock up more on in order to reduce grocery store trips, it lets you see how much space you have. But even if it’s a closet and dressers, since maybe your wardrobe will change if you’re working from home, or if it’s an attic cleanout, it still helps you sort through and assess things.

​Everyone has that project that they talk about getting to but never tackle. Now may be the perfect time!