In an ideal world, your bedroom is your sanctuary. It should be a zen space with minimal distractions and all the things needed to promote ideal sleep health. But in the real world, this isn’t always the case. Often, our bedrooms become multipurpose spaces, cluttered with clothes, technology, and paperwork.
Whether you’re grappling with space issues or have just let the bedroom clutter get out of control, it’s time to scale back to the basics. So much of what we have in our bedrooms can be stashed and stored elsewhere—you just need to know where to start.
With this in mind, we tapped in a few professional organizers to find out their top tips for identifying and removing excess items from your bedroom.
Meet the Expert
- Amy Babish is an expert in feng shui, as well as a professional house therapist with a focus on space and organization.
- Mindy Godding is a certified professional organizer and the owner of Abundance Organizing.
- Michelle Urban is a professional organizer and founder of The Organized House.
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01
of 06Work-Related Items
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If you’re trying to create the calm, restful bedroom of your dreams, then ditching all the work-related stuff is the top priority.
“Laptops don’t belong there,” says professional organizer Michelle Urban. “They create stress and make it harder to unwind.”
If you don’t have a home office, it can be tricky to know where to move your work must-haves, but it’s time to get creative.
Clear out a cabinet, make space in the linen closet, or create your own mini office space in an alcove or nook off the kitchen or living room. Anywhere else is better than the bedroom.
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02
of 06Nightstand Clutter
Organizing minimalist nightstands and side tables
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If your nightstand is a mess, you’re not alone. It’s an understandable dropping off point, from books to empty glasses to whatever jewelry you take off at the end of the day.
But as house therapist and feng shui expert Amy Babish points out, this is a space that should be cleared—inside and out. In feng shui, there’s the idea that clutter can still be felt and impactful even when shoved away in a drawer.
“Be selective of what is in and on your night stand,” Babish says. “Edit as if your sleep depended on it.”
With a cluttered nightstand, Babish suggests it might be harder to clear your mind before (and perhaps even during) sleep.
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03
of 06Paperwork
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From work files to household bills to school permission slips, professional organizer Mindy Godding says paperwork has no business in the bedroom.
“Paper clutter in one’s bedroom can overstimulate the mind before bedtime making it hard to relax and fall asleep,” she says.
Instead, create a filing system elsewhere. If you don’t have a home office or another workspace that will work, Godding suggests a loosely stacked letter tray in a high-traffic area.
This kind of filing system can help keep everything corralled and accessible when you’re finally ready to tackle your to-do list.
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04
of 06Exercise Equipment
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Let’s face it: Even well-designed exercise equipment isn’t aesthetically pleasing enough to blend into a bedroom. Plus, as Urban points out, it can quickly become either a guilt trigger or a mental distraction.
Instead, she suggests creating a dedicated workout space elsewhere. Get creative with the garage, the basement, or another room. Plus, simply moving the items might help renew your interest in using them.
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05
of 06Electronics
Getty Images/Mint Images
This one might be tricky, but Babish says electronics have no place in your bedroom—and yes, this includes televisions, laptops, and phones. These are needless distractions that aren’t just adding clutter, they’re probably impacting your focus and sleep health.
“Take the extra step to put your laptop outside of your bedroom, in your office or designated work space before bed,” says Babish. “TV can live in the family space or activity space.”
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06
of 06Unread Books and Magazines
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If you’ve amassed a pile of things you want to read but haven’t yet, Urban suggests moving these to another room: the living room, office, or wherever else you can set up a bookshelf.
“A book or two is fine, but an unread pile can create visual clutter and unnecessary guilt,” says Urban.
Instead, keep your current read on your nightstand, but move your to-be-read pile somewhere else.