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There's something oddly satisfying about a decluttered and nicely organized space. Our brain loves symmetry, patterns and repetition. And what better way to trigger that dopamine response than to tidy things up according to, say, color? If you're doing it yourself, there's another plus – you can use it as a sort of meditation. Or listen to a podcast you like if you hate being alone with your brain.

This time, Bored Panda has prepared for you some gorgeously satisfying pictures to look at. Whether it's a garage that has undergone a major decluttering makeover or a shelf in a store – we've got you covered. So sit back, relax for a few minutes, and enjoy these lovely entries that might make your brain tingle.

Bored Panda reached out to a certified professional organizer and head of SK Organizing, Shara Kay. She was kind enough to tell us more about how she launched her own organizing company and why we love watching other people being neat so much.

More info: SK Organizing | Instagram

#1

Hot Wheels Display Iā€™ve Assembled For My Office

Hot Wheels Display Iā€™ve Assembled For My Office

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We asked the organizing expert Shara Kay how one becomes a professional in the field. She shared her quite unconventional story with us. "I had been working in the entertainment industry for over a decade," Shara begins, "when in 2017, I had a film fall apart in pre-production."

"It was devastating! I turned to my lifelong passion for organizing and began helping family and friends with moves, estate clearing and other projects as a means of channeling my energy."

"It was tremendously satisfying work and I learned that there was a lot of demand for the skills I had always taken for granted. Rather than search for another producing gig, I launched my organizing company and never looked back," Shara tells Bored Panda.

#2

The Way These Thrift Store Tea Cups Are Displayed

The Way These Thrift Store Tea Cups Are Displayed

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sbj
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I bet someone will come along, take a couple out, just to mess it up

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#3

Iā€™m An Art Teacher And I Moved To A New School This Past Summer. The Previous Teacher Did Not Share My Love Of Organization. Behold The Before And After Of My Paper Closet

Iā€™m An Art Teacher And I Moved To A New School This Past Summer. The Previous Teacher Did Not Share My Love Of Organization. Behold The Before And After Of My Paper Closet

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Even if people who use Shara's services are seeking more organization in their lives, saying goodbye to possessions is hardly ever easy. Bored Panda asked the organizational expert how her company deals with that.

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"We encourage clients to examine why they might be struggling to let go," Shara explains. "We suggest strategies and alternatives such as keeping the best example(s) instead of a whole set or category, or taking a photo rather than keeping a memento that is in poor condition."

"When it comes to practical ‘I might need it someday’ items, we recommend setting a rule like not worrying about letting go of unused items that could be replaced in under 30 minutes for under $30," the expert shares some useful advice.

#5

The Way The Fridge Magnets Are Organized After My Brother With Asperger's Syndrome Has Come To Visit

The Way The Fridge Magnets Are Organized After My Brother With Asperger's Syndrome Has Come To Visit

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We were also curious to know what role does visual satisfaction play in Shara's job. She says it's essential. "Seeing is believing!" Shara says. "A visually tidy space helps relieve stress and promote a sense of calm that improves overall well-being."

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"It's incredibly satisfying for both organizers and our clients to see the results of our work. And while there are plenty of larger-scale projects that extend over the course of weeks or months, we can see change happen with each and every appointment. We truly have the best job!"

#7

Old Trunks And Suitcases On Custom Shelves Are A Cool Storage Solution

Old Trunks And Suitcases On Custom Shelves Are A Cool Storage Solution

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#8

Neatly Arranged Markers At My Local Bookstore

Neatly Arranged Markers At My Local Bookstore

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#9

The Way This Produce Is Arranged

The Way This Produce Is Arranged

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sbj
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When the customers arrive this beauty will be destroyed in seconds

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As you scroll through this wonderful list, you might feel a slight pang of guilt and jealousy. “Why can't I organize my space in such an orderly way?" There seems to never be enough time for tidying up. And there's just so much stuff! Where do you even start?

There are heaps of books, special methods and organizing techniques, making the task of organizing, well, more well-organized. There's the world-renowned KonMari method, the Swedish Death Cleaning technique, and many more. Reaching out to a professional organizer is always a good option too – these people will surely know what they're doing.

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#10

The Way This Museum Arranged Snail Shells To Demonstrate Color Variation

The Way This Museum Arranged Snail Shells To Demonstrate Color Variation

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#11

Carrots Stacked On A Truck

Carrots Stacked On A Truck

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#12

These Yoghurts Are Sorted Perfectly. I Can Bearly Tell The Difference Between This And A Real Bear

These Yoghurts Are Sorted Perfectly. I Can Bearly Tell The Difference Between This And A Real Bear

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sbj
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wouldn't want to be the first person to take any from this display

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But why do people find it so hard to declutter? Why is it so hard to get rid of things we don't need and tidy up our spaces in a well-organized manner? Organizing coach and author of Organize Your Way: Simple Strategies for Every Personality Kelly McMenamin says the phenomenon at fault is the big capitalist beast – consumerism.

"When a consumer buys something because it elicited a positive feeling, improved self-esteem, and increased social belonging, then it's easy to see why it might be difficult down the line to toss those happy vibes into the trash like yesterday's news," McMenamin writes for Psychology Today.

#13

Broom Setup On Our Local Garden Store

Broom Setup On Our Local Garden Store

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That's one of the main reasons why saying goodbye to a thing you no longer use might be hard. There are certain memories and feelings mixed with that item. Sometimes even parts of your identity might be in the mix. "The act of decluttering an attic full of past purchases is therefore a lengthy exercise in anticipation of bad feelings," Kelly McMenamin writes.

#17

Selling My House Soon And Packing Up All The LEGO, Took One Last Photo Of My Setup

Selling My House Soon And Packing Up All The LEGO, Took One Last Photo Of My Setup

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#18

The Way These Pipes And Valves Are Arranged Is Soothing

The Way These Pipes And Valves Are Arranged Is Soothing

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Irishwoman abroad
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow! I wish the idiot who had organised the water pipes for our building could see this! Only 12 apartments, and they still couldn't even get the meters installed in any kind of numerical order, plus some are randomly stuck on another wall, despite plenty of space.

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McMenamin is also an advocate for messy organization. That might sound like an oxymoron, but she assures that it isn't. "Some people are messy, some are neat, and neither has anything to do with organization," she writes for Psychology Today. "Organization is about retrieval. You can be organized regardless of where you fall on that messy/neat continuum."

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She has a funny way of dividing people into two groups when it comes to organizational styles: 'pilers' and 'filers'. We can describe the two groups in more simple terms as well: messy and neat. 'Filers' are neat. They're tidy. Piles of paper immediately look disorganized to them.

#19

My Dad Is At It Again With His Aesthetically Pleasing Crop Circle Leaf Mulching

My Dad Is At It Again With His Aesthetically Pleasing Crop Circle Leaf Mulching

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LauraDragonWench
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is he married to the woman who mowed crop circles into the lawn? Because they totally compliment each other. šŸ˜

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#20

I Have Synesthesia, That Means I Remember Books Better By Their Color Than By Title Or Author, So This Is What Happens When I Have Enough Shelf Space

I Have Synesthesia, That Means I Remember Books Better By Their Color Than By Title Or Author, So This Is What Happens When I Have Enough Shelf Space

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#21

The Way These Shirts Are Arranged

The Way These Shirts Are Arranged

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Felidae
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10 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This unfortunately does not work well from what I have experienced. You have to go through a whole stack to find the size you are looking for. It does look great and neat, but I have seen people create an unholy mess trying to find what they are looking for. It does work easier though if they leave the shirt stacks with the shirts in the packaging, easier to see the size and people create less chaos.

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McMenamin's 10+ year experience in the organizing business has taught her that the second half of the population, the 'pilers', are not untidy. They just have differently wired brains. "I learned that there's usually a rhyme and a reason to any mess or pile," she writes. "Often, a slew of piles masks a simple organizing strategy: a rudimentary piling system."

#22

Seems Like A Good Time To Finally Show Off The Spice Rack I Built

Seems Like A Good Time To Finally Show Off The Spice Rack I Built

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#23

I've Been Working In A Supermarket For 11 Years And Still Find "Facing Up" Oddly Satisfying. I Took These Pictures 1 Month Ago

I've Been Working In A Supermarket For 11 Years And Still Find "Facing Up" Oddly Satisfying. I Took These Pictures 1 Month Ago

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Papa
Community Member
10 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I understand. It's been 40 years since I worked retail, but when I put something on a shelf I still have to turn it so the label faces front, even drinks in the refrigerator.

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#24

After Ordering Some Shrimp, Customer Returned The Plate Like This

After Ordering Some Shrimp, Customer Returned The Plate Like This

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The professional organizer describes how she helps the 'pilers’. "I build a piling system that replicates the essence of their natural piling strategy while creating more visual order and efficiency than was there beforehand. I figure out how many piles or categories tend to occur and buy clear, open bins for each and label them."

What's the reasoning behind the organizing method that 'pilers' prefer? Essentially, there's no visually pleasing element. There are no satisfying well-organized spice racks, bookcases are not color-coded. So how can they enjoy the messy order?

#25

My Younger Brother (20) Is Training To Be A Driver For Our Moving Company. He Wants To Hear How You'd Rate His Tetris Skills

My Younger Brother (20) Is Training To Be A Driver For Our Moving Company. He Wants To Hear How You'd Rate His Tetris Skills

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Alan Fallguy
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

After adding the carpet on the right the bottom 4 rows should have disappeared :-)

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#26

Props To Whoever Stocked These Clothes' Hangers At IKEA

Props To Whoever Stocked These Clothes' Hangers At IKEA

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#27

Organized Office Drawer

Organized Office Drawer

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SM
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10 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was in the Air Force, we did this for all our tools in the toolbox. It makes it so that you can instantly tell if a tool is missing. This can be critical on the flight line where a missing tool might be sucked up into a jet engine. We even had two layers of foam. The bottom you panted red, and then the top was black foam. It really made it stand out.

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McMenamin writes that it's because the 'pilers' are visual thinkers. They find it hard to locate things once they're away from their sight. In some cases, people even forget that they had an item they hadn't thought about in a long time. For those who prefer piling organizational systems, cabinets are places where things go to rest and never see the light of day again.

#28

Well, The 5 Minutes It Took To Arrange My Glass Collection On The Mantle Was Incredibly Worth It

Well, The 5 Minutes It Took To Arrange My Glass Collection On The Mantle Was Incredibly Worth It

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#29

Organized Copper Piping

Organized Copper Piping

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#30

My Friend's Basement Organization Is Something Else

My Friend's Basement Organization Is Something Else

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It's true, piling systems don't look Instagrammable. They probably would never make it into a list like this. Yet they work for a huge portion of the human population. "There is no point to me creating an entire new system for a client that looks pristine with everything tucked away inside of a filing cabinet if it's not going to actually work for them," McMenamin concludes in her blog post.

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#31

I Used To Be A Cook In The Industry, But Now I Cook For My Family And Friends

I Used To Be A Cook In The Industry, But Now I Cook For My Family And Friends

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#32

After Months And Months In Storage I Finally Managed To Build Some Custom Shelves To Display My Game Boy Collection

After Months And Months In Storage I Finally Managed To Build Some Custom Shelves To Display My Game Boy Collection

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#33

Love Having A 3D Printer For Things Like This

Love Having A 3D Printer For Things Like This

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#34

I Can't Stop Looking At This

I Can't Stop Looking At This

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Blue Bunny of Happiness
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Canā€™t blame them for being unable to stop looking at this, poor attention to detail, plums are not in colour order. (joke)

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#35

Drop A File Frame In An Ottoman Or Chest And VoilĆ  - Storage Solution That Doubles As A Seat

Drop A File Frame In An Ottoman Or Chest And VoilĆ  - Storage Solution That Doubles As A Seat

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#38

The Organization In This Party Store

The Organization In This Party Store

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#39

This Perfectly Organized Tin Of Cards

This Perfectly Organized Tin Of Cards

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#40

I Built Some Shelves This Weekend In My Previously Empty Pantry. This Was Only My Second Time Wood Working So I'm Pretty Happy With The Result Despite Some Missteps

I Built Some Shelves This Weekend In My Previously Empty Pantry. This Was Only My Second Time Wood Working So I'm Pretty Happy With The Result Despite Some Missteps

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Jay Scales
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Excellent! This looks so much more realistic & useful than the pantries with dried flowers an mood lighting!

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#41

The Way My Dutch School Has Arranged These School Bikes

The Way My Dutch School Has Arranged These School Bikes

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#42

Satisfying Purple Cables

Satisfying Purple Cables

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#44

My Friend's Cookie Jar

My Friend's Cookie Jar

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CoMa4
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These wouldnā€™t last long enough to look this nice in my home.šŸ„›šŸŖšŸ˜‹

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#45

I Arranged My Fabric By Color And Re-Folded It All To Fit Perfectly Within Each Cube

I Arranged My Fabric By Color And Re-Folded It All To Fit Perfectly Within Each Cube

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LauraDragonWench
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yup, this was how my mom had her fabric - wish I had taken a photo of it before she died and all the fabric was donated to local quilting groups.

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#46

Finally Organized My Fabric Stash To A Usable State. Staring At This Wall Is Like Therapy

Finally Organized My Fabric Stash To A Usable State. Staring At This Wall Is Like Therapy

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#49

The Way My Boyfriend Organized The Cord To The Lamp

The Way My Boyfriend Organized The Cord To The Lamp

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Karsten Rasmussen
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Please don't do this - wires should NEVER be coiled around a metal centre (or a hollow one where metal could end up) as it creates a coil that, depending on the current in the wire, could heat the metal centre to the melting point.

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#50

Top Row Of Hangers

Top Row Of Hangers

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Note: this post originally had 127 images. Itā€™s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.