The “Ski Slope Method” is the Trick to Organizing Anything

With children, pets, chores, and never-ending clutter, a messy home can quickly spin out of control — causing us to feel the same way. A disorderly home can increase anxiety, along with impairing sleep and our ability to focus. This feeling of anxiety triggers avoidance strategies, making us want to forgo tidying up altogether, snowballing into even more clutter and bigger messes. However, there is a fix that can help both you and your home: the Ski Slope Method.

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What Is the Ski Slope Method?

The Ski Slope Method is designed for those who suffer from the anxiety and avoidance that comes with built-up messes. It was invented by therapist, interior designer, and author of Home Therapy, Anita Yokota, who initially taught the method to her interior design clients to create stunning home displays and to her therapy clients to help them cultivate a happy family home. 

Imagine a messy room in your home as a ski slope. You’re at the top of the mountain, ski poles in hand, ready to tackle the snowy piste. Yokota explains, “If you try to go straight down, the steep angle feels scary and overwhelming. But if you traverse the slope — skiing from one side to the other — you lessen the angle and make it down the mountain without even noticing.”

How to Use the Ski Slope Method

Now, let’s apply this visual to a dirty room. Instead of attacking it all at once, start at one corner, sliding back and forth across the room downward until you reach the end — just like you would if you were skiing down a mountain. 

This method is effective because it gives you a starting point. Oftentimes, a room is so chaotic that you don’t know where to begin, which is why many people eventually give up. The ski slope method breaks up the room into smaller, manageable chunks and tricks your brain into believing that a daunting task is more manageable. With this sense of relief, you feel encouraged to keep going. This method also allows for breaks because you aren’t creating a bigger mess during cleaning — you can tackle your kitchen over a few hours or your basement over one weekend.

Organize Anything With This Trick

The Ski Slope Method can be applied anywhere in the home or workplace. On a smaller scale, try organizing your closets and pantries this way. How often have you tried straightening up your closet, pulling everything out, only to find yourself disappointed with the amount of extra work you just created as everything lies strewn across the floor? Instead, “skiing” down your closet and pantry shelves — working from an upper corner and cascading down, side-to-side — breaks up the process. 

You can also organize your desk this way. Start in the back corner with a jumbled-up pen holder, then move across to the opposite corner, filing that stack of mail that keeps piling up. Move across the front, wipe down the keyboard drawer, and finally, tackle those disheveled storage drawers. With the burden reduced into smaller sections, you’ll be ready to declutter your desk and any other part of your home or office. This method empowers you to take control of your space, no matter the size, instilling confidence in your ability to organize effectively.