This Genius, Space-Saving $45 Amazon Find Makes Use of Empty Corners, Organizes My Clothes, and Boosts My Productivity

Ever fallen victim to the “closet full of clothes… but nothing to wear” conundrum? Well, you can actually blame it on option fatigue: Research suggests that having to make a lot of decisions (ahem, choosing an outfit!) can put extra strain on the brain. The more choices you have, the more of a distraction this thought process can become, which can, in turn, impact your productivity levels. 

As a solve, Cal Newport, author of “Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World,” suggests creating a repeatable schedule for mundane, everyday tasks, like getting dressed or responding to emails, so you don’t have to think about when or how to do them. That’s why, when I decided to audit my habits at the beginning of this year, I started with something I do daily: getting dressed. Even though I work from home, I still like the ritual of putting on a “real” outfit. Staring at my entire wardrobe each morning, though? I could practically feel my mind slow to a halt in the process. That was option fatigue and decision paralysis at work, both of which depleted my productive morning momentum and ate into my work time.

To help with this situation, I bought a $55 Amazon corner clothing rack (now on sale!) for an empty corner in my room. Then, I began using my Sunday evenings to plan and coordinate my week’s outfits before Monday morning arrived. Now, I don’t deliberate about what to wear each day because I only have five pre-planned options to look at. I’ve found keeping my outfits styled and at the go is an easy hack for speeding up my mornings, so I can have a clearer mind to sit down and write during my peak creative hours. 

The freestanding rack fits into an otherwise unused part of my bedroom, and I actually enjoy keeping my clothes out where I can see them — they’re like functional decor that make my life so much easier when on display. During a given season, I usually reach for the same items on repeat anyway, so keeping commonly worn coats and jeans together for easy mixing and matching just makes getting ready quicker. Not to mention, the rack actually looks good, thanks to its curved minimalist design, which fits perfectly in the space and basically blends right in with my baseboards, as you can see below.

In addition to the unique corner-specific silhouette that I own, you can also shop a few different styles from the same collection, including standard rectangular designs with built-in shelving options to organize and curate your full head-to-toe outfits, shoes and all. You can basically build out an entire wardrobe from all of the options if you don’t have a reach- or walk-in closet at all.

Overall, this small, portable clothing rack from Amazon has changed how I wake up and start my day for the better as well as how focused I am at work. It’s a small investment that has helped me stick to my New Year’s habits, cut down on outfit indecisiveness, and create more clothing storage out of thin air. Win-win-win!