The Nesting Bug

Whether she’s singing Justin Bieber at the top of her lungs, declaring a spontaneous game of charades or just telling me a story from her job as a nurse, my cousin Jessica is always cracking me up. Recently, her behavior has been unintentionally yet undeniably entertaining because she appears to be ‘nesting’. If there was one part of the equation that didn’t quite add up, it would be the fact that she’s very much not pregnant….but baby or not, the nesting symptoms are all there. Surge of cleaning energy? Check. The impulse to re-arrange and re-decorate our whole house? Check. The desire to empty and re-organize every crevice? Double check. I’m not sure what’s gotten into her, but I’m definitely not complaining because her rush of energy has transformed just about every area in our house over the last few weeks. It’s been a good thing, but we’ve definitely learned some lessons in the process…in fact, here are four major tips that will help you avoid the chaos that often accompanies the nesting process.

1) Stick to one project at a time! If you rip apart every room in your house all at once you’re setting yourself up for disaster. Keep it manageable and you’re less likely to get overwhelmed.

2) Define what success looks like and make a to-do/to-buy list before you start each project. What is your final goal? What do you need to see that goal to completion? Figure it out before you start so you can stay organized and on task.

3) Stay balanced. While it’s great to take advantage of the steam while you have it, be careful not to wear yourself out. Unless you’re bionic (or my Mom who seemingly never runs out of energy) this is a burst that won’t last forever and that’s ok. It’s alright to re-adjust your goals if necessary…by making them more practical as you tire you’ll increase your likelihood of seeing them to completion.

4) Don’t get something new for the sake of newness. If you don’t love it, don’t buy it! The nesting bug is tricky because it makes you feel like you need things that you really just want (although isn’t that true of a lot of life). If you’re not seeing what you want, wait it out and keep looking…and in the meantime remember, new doesn’t always mean better!