Making one small change cured my messy ways and made me tidy

I've always been that way, ever since I began rational thinking.

As a teenager, my room was a disaster zone, prompting my mum to post a note on my bedroom door, cautioning visitors to steer clear for their own safety.

I often look back on that time and think I've made some progress too. And I have – my shoes used to be on the floor, but nowadays they're hung up on a chair. That's a move in the right direction, I suppose.

Things are getting a bit chaotic around here - items are spilling off the chair and there's a buildup of mugs next to the dishwasher, and to top it all off, I've only got one clean pair of trousers left. I've decided to give the flat a thorough tidy, allocating a half-day to tackle these issues as well as running the hoover and dusting everything properly.

But now that I'm in my thirties, perhaps it's about time for me to take the next step; to become a tidy person.

A tool that was created to assist with managing office tasks. In essence, it's about taking swift action on a task, so that you don't have to repeat the same thing twice.

For instance, if you stroll into the office on a Monday morning and notice 50 emails waiting for you, the OHIO technique would suggest that you sift through them, identify the ones that require your immediate attention, act on the most time-sensitive ones right away, and afterwards, take the time to categorise the rest, so you can quickly locate them as needed in the future.

As it so happens, I've managed systems like this for some time at work. I have set up folders in my inbox with labels like 'emails that require a response', grouping items marked as 'high priority'; I also have a 'priority' folder for long-term projects or information I might need to revisit.

Considering the impact the OHIO method had had on my job, I decided it was high time I adopted it at home.

That demanded tackling habits that I'd accumulated over the course of my entire life.

The first point of note was that when washing my hands in the kitchen, I'd frequently use a tea towel, only to carelessly drop it on the counter rather than hanging it up on its designated hook. On day one of this new regime, I couldn't help but think back with a certain amount of disdain at my previous behavioural choices, acknowledging it actually required just as much effort to put it back in its rightful place.

A very minor adjustment helped me to grasp just how straightforward changing these things can be.

It was more about altering my perception of how much effort it takes to put things in the right order and realising that the truth was 'not a lot'.

Instead of kicking off my shoes on entering the house and leaving them near the sofa and then getting up to look for my slippers, I can simply take a couple of steps to put my shoes in their allocated space on the rack - a system I follow, where the rack houses, both my shoes and my slippers.

Instead of cooking and eating, followed by the hassle of cleaning up every utensil I'd used when I was finished, I could load up the dishwasher as I went along, thus saving myself the chore later.

Ensuring the work surface directly in front of me is clutter-free and tidy.

When getting settled in for the night, it makes sense to hang up the clothes I took off during the day, rather than letting them drift onto the chair. Even if I'm feeling exhausted, putting in the brief effort of 60 seconds to tidy up can be beneficial in the long run.

For those already familiar with keeping a tidy home, these routine habits seem natural. It's only logical that by taking care of things as you go, you're saving yourself time and effort down the line. Why wouldn't you just adopt this common sense approach?

This technique can prove highly beneficial in reducing the mental strain associated with a lengthy list of tasks, and in mitigating decision exhaustion by enabling the individual to identify the primary objective to concentrate on.

However, I am aware that for some individuals who have struggled with depression in the past, adopting the OHIO method may seem unattainable.

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I largely discovered that I required the same or less energy to accomplish household tasks, but there were instances where I needed to work more dynamically in real-time.

As I was brushing my teeth, my electric toothbrush reminded me it was about to run out of power. This meant popping it into another room to find a plug, locating the charger, and doing it up - taking up a bit more time from my morning routine and breaking my stride getting ready to head out the house. It's understandable, I suppose, but it was a bit of a nuisance.

When I was struggling with depression, I dread the thought of simply letting my toothbrush go unused and instead I'd continue to use it for a while, not knowing when I'd finally muster the energy to find a charger.

The mental and physical strain required to tackle daily tasks, especially when they are unplanned, can be a significant challenge for individuals with mental health issues or physical disabilities.

"That's one drawback I'd highlight, actually. If you're physically and mentally capable, it's relatively simple to get the hang of it, but it can be frustratingly challenging and inflexible, making it easy to get sidetracked.

Over the fortnight of trying the OHIO method, I was unwell after undergoing minor surgery and found myself confined to my bed, feeling mentally drained and lacking the energy to accomplish even the most basic tasks. I knew I wouldn't be capable of doing much, but the mess only seemed to mount up during this time.

On the first day I felt physically up to cooking dinner, I kept tidying as I went along; however, all that unnecessary movement irritated the site around the wound. This, I suppose, was my own doing, as I didn't heed my own body's signals, but I was determined not to abandon my routine so readily.

Before I underwent the surgery, I had already identified some drawbacks of the system - primarily, life's interruptions and unforeseen delays.

In the morning, I get up before my husband for work, and so I dress in the living room. I lay my clothes out the night before, but it leaves me with a mess, with items such as PJs, makeup and glasses I've changed for contact lenses randomly scattered around me. As a result, I must take the time to temporarily clean the room.

To be honest, I'm feeling somewhat more inclined to sort out that mess as soon as I get back home now, but it's still being added to the list of things to tackle.

Setting that aside, I've noticed this approach is having a positive impact on other aspects of my life. I've become more organised in managing my tasks and making the most of my leisure time, which is now focused on mundane chores like tidying and vacuuming. I've also taken steps to keep my personal inbox clutter-free by promptly unsubscribing from unwanted emails.

I feel that I've become more nimble with WhatsApp, and even in my professional settings, where I'd previously considered my setup to be polished, I've observed significant enhancements.

I've come to the realisation that I typically formulate a response in my head when reading an email; therefore, moving the message to the 'to reply to' folder when I've already mentally composed my reply seems unnecessary to me.

The OHIO method has given me a sense that my to-do list is more manageable when I think 'why put something off until later that I can tackle now instead'? I no longer moan about how much I have to do, or feel the need to take an entire day off to get my cleaning jobs sorted out. I feel considerably more at ease, and consequently, much happier thanks to being so productive.

My husband has noticed a change lately, admitting that he hasn't been undertaking his usual household tasks as frequently because I've been keeping on top of things instead - he typically took care of them all previously.

For me, the biggest challenge is going to be preserving my motivation and turning this into a consistent habit, so my first impulse when I glance at that tea towel is to put it away without having to remind myself to do so.

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