Outta here! Professional purgers' organizing tips

[Sequoia]

You know those closets and drawers and cupboards that are so full, they won't quite close? It turns out they could be bad for your health. We asked top organizing experts to help us get a grip.

Every time you look around and feel anxious that the mess is getting out of hand, your body releases cortisol, one of the classic stress hormones, says Steven Maier, PhD, a neuroscience professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Arianne Cohen, the author of "Help, It's Broken! A Fix-It Bible for the Repair-Impaired," asked top organizing experts to help us get a grip.

Kitchen -- Clear off some counter space

Purging: Even Emeril doesn't need six spatulas and four whisks; two of each will do, so start by tossing extras. While you're at it, check expiration dates on foodstuffs and pitch anything that's past its prime.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/homestyle/09/07/pro.purge/index.html

This is so true. Yesterday, after months and months of putting it off I finally cleaned some cabinets out and feel so much better. I open them up just to see how organized everything is. I do feel stressed out when things are messy which is all the time now. Doesn't seem to bother my SO at all though. I found some cool stuff I forgot I had, and stuff 7 years old I threw out. It's turning fall and I always get this urge to clean house before the cold weather sets in.