A Resting Space

A resting space is the the natural location where a belonging is kept, either out of subconscious habit or intention. Chances are, many things you own already have their own resting space or "home base." Do you always leave your purse by the door? Your wallet at your nightstand? In this post I'm going to consider some tactics for building more tidy resting spaces for our belongings. ​

Perks of Tidier Resting Spaces

• You won't lose your things in your own house
• Tidying is easier when an object has a permanent resting place
• Critically choosing this place makes your house look nicer
• Thinking about home bases can make minimizing goals clearer

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How to Choose a Tidy Home Base

• Where do I usually leave this item out of habit?
• Is there somewhere I could put it that's more convenient?
• Is there a way I could put it there to make it look nicer?

ex: Wallet

• I usually leave it on the dining room table.
• I usually have to move it out of the way for dinner, and then I can't find it in the morning.
• If I put it on the table next to my briefcase and sunglasses, I could grab all of those things at the same time in the morning.

ex: Clothes

• Usually thrown into drawers when I get around to laundry, or on floor.
• In the drawers would be more convenient, but folding is such a pain...and if I pull out one shirt, the rest get wrinkled or tucked under each other, so what's the point?
• Having clothes put away and not on the floor would def look nicer...maybe I can practice the Konmari folding method. That way the clothes stand on their own, I can fold them quickly, and they're easy to pick out!

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In Use vs. Resting

​Some items will have two homes: one for when they are out and in use, and one for when they're resting. This resting or storage spot doesn't have to be obscured (in a drawer, cupboard etc) but it can be. Many people use a key rack to keep their home and car keys, a great example of a resting place. Their "in use" place for keys is wherever their owner takes them. 

Example: My Desk

IN USE

• laptop open
• wrist pad out
• desk light unfolded
• mouse, pens, planner, phone out

​​RESTING

• laptop closed
• wrist pad pushed forward
• desk light folded
• mouse, pens, planner in desk drawer

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A Tactic to Reduce Phone Usage

A reason many of us use our phones pretty much constantly (including myself, that is me) is that our phone goes where we go. If the things that are currently before us are the things that are in use, we're making our phone a permanent "in use" item by having it on us constantly. 

​An idea I had recently to reduce how much I look at my phone at home is to give it a resting space that is more or less mandatory. My idea for my phone's home base is my side table in the living room. If I want to check notifications, I go there and pick it up and use it. When I'm done, I leave it there and go back to what I'm doing. If I need to use a specific app for a project, I bring it over to my desk with me. In the upcoming weeks I may give this tactic a try.

Note: I am most definitely not one of those people who thinks phones are toxic. This tactic is less for reducing the toxicity of phones (they're not, they're useful tools) but minimizing the distracting nature of them, in the same way we do with TV time and other media-heavy appliances.