Can your home be 'too organized'? – professional organizers share their thoughts

For many homeowners, an organized life is a happy life. Waking up to everything being where you expect it to be, with zero trip hazards to jump over, can be a dream. But is there such a thing as taking organization too far? Can you reach a point where you become so incredibly organized in your lifestyle that it starts to make yourself and others feel restricted and unhappy?

Here, we talked to professional organizers to learn about the benefits of organization and what the signs might be that you may have taken it “ too far”. “Too far” is, of course, subjective, and what matters most is feeling comfortable in your lifestyle. So if you’re questioning your home organization ideas or feeling misaligned in your lifestyle, these potentially could be some of the reasons why.

Why may a person seek to be more organized in their life?

Optimally organizing a home, especially organizing small spaces, brings many benefits to the homeowner, including ease of finding belongings, a visually calmer environment, and decreased stress levels. Organization is additionally a great way to grant homeowners a sense of control over the external sense of chaos that may have accumulated, banished through organization by every item being given a designated home.

‘There is a connection between our external environment and our internal peace of mind,’ says Mindy Godding, Certified Professional Organizer, President of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO), and Owner of Abundance Organized. ‘Our physical space has a deep impact on our energy and psyche. Having a more organized life – tasks planned, items arranged functionally – can create feelings of focus and harmony.’

Is it possible to become 'too organized' in your home?

You can have too much of a good thing, organization included. If you devote such a large portion of your life to organizing a kitchen, etc, you may end up caught in a web of unattainable perfectionism, and miss out on living life itself – and life is inherently imperfect and messy!

‘When organizing a home for health and well-being becomes rigid and inflexible, it can create stress and difficulty adapting to changes,’ says Sara Genrich, Certified Professional Organizer, Digital Organizer, Productivity Consultant, Speaker and Trainer. ‘It’s essential to find a balance between organization and flexibility. Using the example of an office: it is possible to create a complicated file system but when this happens a person typically doesn’t file consistently or enjoy doing it because the system is too difficult to understand or maintain.’

Janine Sarna-Jones, Certified Professional Organizer and Founder/CEO of Organize Me Inc., uses the example of achieving the picture-perfect aesthetic pantry. ‘I think the best example here is when people want a beautiful pantry with clear containers,’ says Janine. ‘They will have to unbox and open packages to ensure that the beautifully organized pantry is maintained consistently. Over-organized, overly complicated systems are usually connected to perfectionism, and I believe organization should be defined by systems that make the things which are important to you accessible.’

So, if your organizational systems are more of a source of perfectionism and stress than a solution, it is likely a sign that you’re taking organization too far in your home. 

Why might somebody “over organize” their home?

It’s important to understand where your need to over-organize comes from to find better ways forward that work for you in the future. Take time to reflect on when it began – was it during a difficult period of your life? – and at what points do your organizational systems cease bringing you that initial buzz of joy? If you’re struggling to understand the core of your overall organization, it’s never a bad idea to seek professional help.

‘If one feels a loss of control in another area of life, they may compensate by exerting extreme rules or restrictions on their possessions,’ says Mindy. ‘“Over organizing” or perfectionism is simply someone attempting to regain that sense of control.’

‘Organizing can also be a way to manage anxiety by creating a sense of order in a chaotic world,’ adds Sara. ‘In some cultures or social circles, there’s an emphasis on maintaining a perfectly organized home as well, so many factors are at play that could lead to “over organization”.’

Words of advice from the experts

Reflecting on your organizational habits is a very personal part of your healing journey, but experts did share with us some words of advice to consider while thinking things through.

‘Remember, the goal of organization is to improve your life, not to create additional stress,’ says Sara. This thought relates to considering the core of why you began organizing in the first place: was your home environment cluttered? Did opening certain cupboards in your space stress you out? Were you riddled with feelings of panic whenever a guest was due to come over?

‘If someone is constantly experiencing feelings of guilt or shame around the condition of their house, that’s an indication that they would really benefit from bringing in an organizing professional to help jumpstart creating more manageable systems,’ suggests Mindy.

Janine leaves us with a poignant point of reflection regarding organization and subjectivity: ‘Organization is a practice, like exercising or yoga. There is no need to strive for living in a Pottery Barn catalog,’ says Janine. 'Perfection is enjoying your space and having access to and time for what you value. Remember, you are unique and your organizing systems should reflect your values, your aesthetic, and your sanity.’

Make organization your own and try out different ideas to find what aligns with your happiness. All the best on the journey ahead.