5 Findings That Will Change the Way You Tackle Clutter

Forgive a Little Bit

If you have a penchant for procrastination, we've got good news: A 2010 study out of Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, found that to stop putting off onerous tasks, you should...forgive yourself for putting them off. Doing so decreases your chances of delaying similar chores in the future, because it eases the negative emotions surrounding the task. So if you're upset about letting your basement progress beyond disorganized to health hazard, the most useful thing you can do is get over it—and then get down to work.