Here’s what Anna, {young professional living in a small space} had to say:
“I live in a 375 foot studio condo where space is precious. It is very important to minimize stress in my life to help manage my autoimmune disease.
Heidi spent two hours assessing various spaces with me. By going through it together, I realized there were a lot of things I could donate to charity or recycle. Things I wanted to keep were then sorted into strategic zones/centers.
We created a center {using vertical space on a closet door} that I call “home base” because it’s where I put things that I need as I am coming and going from my house as well as things I need to keep my house running, such as my important financial documents, bills to pay.
It’s like the “home office” in a small space. I only have one clothing closet plus this small linen closet so this was a very creative way to use the space that I would not have thought of on my own:
- An adhesive cork board was applied on top to hang up important notices, cards etc.
- Below that is a white board/note pads for lists/reminders.
- The white hanging bag on the door is to keep things that I need as I go out the door – like lint brush, hat, mittens, pager…
- I decided I would do best with a calender and planner I can take on-the-go, so that’s in the lower section of the of the 3 hanging file system on the door. The green zipper pouch contains checkbook and stamps in the “action” tray since that’s usually what needs “action”
Next, we decided to dedicate a cabinet I already had to create my “health center.” Originally this cabinet was space being very under utilized, it generally was just a spot to ‘stash’ random things.
I hardly knew what was in here before and now it’s one of my favorite and best used spaces. The cabinet is from Ikea. The basket on top is what I used to just pile all my meds in {before, it was on a shelf in the kitchen}; it was a huge mess with no system.
- The top bin inside the cabinet is where I put medical bills or reports that I need to file. In the bottom drawer I keep all of my medical records in binders organized by system and/or doctor. I also have a binder from records from my childhood.
- There are two large bins in the cabinet. One is for all my physical therapy tools, like balls, bands and braces. The other big bin is for “pain management.” I keep things like my heating pad, first aid kit, and all medications related to pain in here. There are smaller containers within for prescription pain meds and for over-the-counter pain meds so I can quickly locate them.
The two smaller bins are used for managing my daily meds and also a few I take as needed. There is a bill for medications that I absolutely cannot let lapse and then other ones that are less critical. I am also on a lot of GI meds so there is a bin just for those. This system makes my medication maintenance & refills much more simple.
This is the cabinet I used to have a lot of health stuff piled in and it was just too hard to access. This has now become a great place for my electronic things that I don’t access as often.
Finally, we spent time sorting through my bathroom cabinet. I didn’t spend any money on it – just used what I had. Designating specific spaces to store like things with like things has helped me to stop buying duplicates and find things easier!
I have a hard time being organized, but so far I have made some great progress with her help! I am looking forward to having Heidi over again to help me build on what we’ve already accomplished.”
