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As someone who works from home, keeping my environment relatively clean and clutter-free is essential to staying productive. When piles of mail, packages, or laundry take over, focusing feels next to impossible.
However, I’ve also realized I don’t exactly have the time or energy for marathon decluttering or organizing sessions after already working a full day.
The solution I’ve found to maintain some semblance of order while still prioritizing rest over housework is what I call the 20-Minute Tidying Rule. I set a timer for 20 minutes 1–2 times a day to quickly tidy, declutter and reset whichever spaces need some attention.
Here’s why the 20-Minute Tidying Rule works so well:
It’s Fast But Impactful
It’s amazing how much progress I can make in just 20 minutes of focused effort. I can clear off all cluttered surfaces, put away a load of laundry or run the dishes through the washer. Small sprints prevent feeling overwhelmed yet make an outsized difference.
It Adds Up
Twenty minutes might not seem like much but doing a couple tidy-up sprints per day ends up…
