7 Healthcast: Get organized

And when it comes to getting organized, it's best to take it one step at a time.

Up until now, getting started at clearing the clutter from her house has been a daunting task for Kimberley Mims.

"It's stressful coming in the house and you've got junk everywhere and you're like, ‘Okay, I don't even know where to begin,’" Mims said.

She began by hiring a professional household organizer to help get the job done.

"I said, ‘we start in the first two feet and we just keep moving around the room,’" said organizer Ruth Phillips.

Taking one corner or one box at a time is what some psychologists recommend for relieving the stress of a chaotic environment.

"When you're under a sustained period of stress like that, the body releases chemicals like cortisol that actually decrease your immune functioning and can lead to more vulnerability for health problems," said clinical psychologist Dr. Mark Crawford.

In Kimberley's case, she wasn't sleeping well. But after two hours spent cleaning out the garage, she felt the burden being lifted.

"It's big relief, like a big sigh," Mims said. "You can take a nice little deep breath."

A deep breath and a clear path -- free of stress.

Once you've organized your home, the next step is keeping it that way!

Try to always put things back in their proper places and get in the habit of cleaning up after yourself immediately so that you don't let the clutter get out of control again. 

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