So when everyone else went panic buying, I sat and made lists. A list of things we would need for 3 weeks, a list of people I wanted to stay in touch with over that time, a list of things I needed to do and a list of things I wanted to do.

On my list of things I needed to do is a list I have shared before and a list I often give to Senior clients when they start downsizing. But why wait when you have all this time on your hands now?

5 ways to get organised during Lockdown

1. Organise your important documents

• Go through your paperwork and recycle or shred anything that is outdated or unnecessary. Ask your accountant or financial advisor for current guidelines on what legal documents to keep. Get rid of the rest. I like to scan everything that is not already digital, so my paper filing is down to one small file.
• Get your filing up to date, and ensure your categories are clear and easy to understand. Make sure that your online filing system resembles your paper filing for ease of reference. Keep all your personal and important life documents together in a safe place and label it clearly. I have a small briefcase that belonged to my mother in law for all my documents, which is easy to grab should the need arise.
• Create a comprehensive list of all of your accounts with passwords and contact info and give it to someone you trust. Just make sure you update it regularly.

2. List all your valuables

• Include all jewellery, collectables, paintings and heirlooms. Have separate lists for each category. You could also take photos with details. These lists should go into the box or file of important documents.
• This is also a good time to start thinking about who you will pass these onto one day. You could create a list to reference.

3. Consolidate your media

• If you have dusty CDs, DVDs, video and cassette tapes in cupboards and boxes go through them. Digitize those you want, then box them up to donate later.
• Most households also have old cameras, video recorders and electronics. Sort out the electronic devices you use and box the rest including the random cords and accessories. Take these to E-waste when then time comes.

4. Curate the art collection

• The children’s artwork, along with school reports and trophies in a top cupboard that have been gathering dust is next.
• Go through everything piece of art and set aside the most treasured. Check with your children whether they want anything before ditching the rest. Do the same with school reports and trophies

5. Ruthlessly edit your memorabilia

• This is probably the hardest in this list to get stuck into., greeting cards collected over years, letters from old lovers long forgotten, and then the biggie – all the photographs.
• Take your time (and you have lots of it right now) and round up everything in each category. Perhaps you want to tackle a category a day.
• Read the letters and greeting cards and then let them go.
• Ditch all the blurry, spoilt and faded photos. Then ditch all the photos of people and places you don’t recognise or know. Next are all the duplicates. Now separate into categories and purge again. Separate the photos you want to give to your children, and then consolidate the rest. You might want to use a small box, or a set of albums. You could also consider scanning them and keeping them in a digital file.

These are all areas we put off because we don’t have time. Well now you have a lot of time on your hands and these tasks are both practical and cathartic.

So settle in, take it slow and get some really important stuff sorted.

Do you have other areas I could help you with?