How do you like to de-stress? With a bottle of wine? Soaking in a long, hot bath? Curled up on the sofa in front of a film or with a good book? Perhaps, but a recent study has found that eight in ten adults also find organising and tidying tasks to be a real stress-buster.
The research, commissioned by stationery manufacturer Avery UK, found that four in five people find mess stressful, while 63 per cent don't feel on top of things unless their items are in the 'right place'.
Whether it be filing away important documents or organising the books and DVDs in your home library, the average adult spends more than three and a half hours a week - that's almost eight days a year - getting things in order at home and at work. That's more time than most of us spend practising a hobby!
Here are the 30 organising and tidying tasks we find the most therapeutic. Which are your favourite?
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30. Emptying the dishwasher
29. Clearing the garage
28. Organising DVDs alphabetically
27. Creating a filing system
26. Organising books alphabetically/by genre
25. Arranging pots and pans by shape and size
24. Arranging wardrobe by colour/size/clothing type
23. Sorting through paperwork at home
22. Cleaning the inside of the car
21. Washing the car
20. Organising CDs/vinyl alphabetically
19. Loading the washing machine
18. Tidying desk at home
Read more: 11 incredibly easy ways to organise your entire life
17. Labelling files, folders or storage
16. Putting ironing away
15. Ironing
14. Filing away documents at work
13. Writing things on the calendar
12. Wiping kitchen worktops
11. Mowing the lawn
10. Dusting/polishing my home
9. Cleaning the bathroom
8. Washing the dishes
7. Making the bed
6. Organising storage
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5. Tidying my desk at work
4. Vacuuming
3. Organising important personal documents
2. Putting together a to-do list
1. Crossing stuff off a to-do list
Which tidying tasks do you find most therapeutic? Let us know in the comments box below!
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