Final yr, I had a small transforming venture that acquired just a little out of hand. It will definitely led to me transforming my complete kitchen. That’s a narrative for one more day and one other weblog submit. Nonetheless, I’m actually grateful for a number of the modifications that got here from this rework, particularly our new DIY charging drawer.
I added much more drawers within the backside cupboards as a result of they’re a lot extra sensible and usable. And by doing so, freed up numerous area. For the primary time, I used to be left with drawers I didn’t have a goal for. I remembered one thing I’d seen years in the past on Pinterest about making a charging drawer or docking drawer.
This has now grow to be considered one of our most-used drawers (in all probability proper after the silverware and spice drawers). I like that it’s led to more healthy tech habits too.
On this submit, I’ll stroll you thru how I created a charging drawer with a drawer I already had. I’ll additionally clarify why it’s so essential to maintain our units out of the bed room. Plus I’ll share how this small change has made a big effect on our household’s tech habits.
Why It’s Necessary to Hold Gadgets Out of the Bed room
First, let’s speak about why having a charging drawer within the kitchen—or one other frequent space—is a game-changer. Particularly in the case of your sleep hygiene and total well being. Many people are responsible of bringing our telephones into the bed room, whether or not it’s to examine social media, reply emails, or (let’s be trustworthy) scroll by means of limitless reels. However there are some essential explanation why this may not be the healthiest selection.
The Impression of Blue Gentle on Sleep
One of the vital apparent causes to keep away from having units close to your mattress is the impact of blue gentle on sleep. The screens of telephones, tablets, and different digital units emit blue gentle. This will intrude with melatonin manufacturing, the hormone that regulates our sleep-wake cycle. Research have proven publicity to blue gentle earlier than mattress can delay sleep onset, cut back sleep high quality, and make it more durable to fall right into a deep, restorative sleep.
By maintaining your units out of the bed room, you possibly can assist your physique wind down naturally, with out the interference of synthetic gentle. In case you’ve ever discovered your self scrolling mindlessly in your cellphone earlier than mattress after which having bother falling asleep, you’ve skilled this firsthand. The answer? Hold your telephones, tablets, and different units in a devoted charging area exterior the bed room. Just like the charging drawer I’ve created.
In case you aren’t keen to try this, there are issues we are able to do. Examples embody placing a pink gentle filter on the cellphone, carrying blue-light blocking glasses. You may as well change to one thing just like the Daylight Computer (I like this for journaling and writing at night time).
Scale back Late-Evening Distractions
One other problem with having units close to your mattress is the fixed temptation to examine them. Whether or not it’s an pressing work e-mail, a textual content from a buddy, or the most recent information replace. This fixed connectivity can result in late-night distractions, leaving you feeling wired and anxious as an alternative of relaxed and prepared for relaxation.
With a charging drawer, you possibly can create a wholesome boundary between your bed room and the skin world. By setting a agency rule that units should be charged within the kitchen or one other designated area, you’ll be much less prone to examine them in the course of the night time. This straightforward behavior can enhance your sleep high quality and provide help to be extra current with your loved ones in the course of the day.
Improved Focus and Connection
When your units are tucked away in a drawer, it’s simpler to give attention to the current second. For households, this implies extra high quality time spent collectively with out the distractions of texting, gaming, or scrolling. By having a chosen space for charging units, we encourage everybody to be extra intentional about when and the way they use expertise.
Now, let’s speak about how I created this charging drawer and why it’s been such a game-changer in our dwelling.
How I Created My DIY Charging Drawer
Making a charging drawer in my kitchen was a comparatively easy venture, and it didn’t require numerous fancy instruments or abilities. I began with a drawer I already had in my kitchen, and with a couple of small changes, turned it right into a practical and arranged area for charging units. Right here’s how I did it!
Step 1: Discover the Proper Drawer
I had a drawer in my kitchen that was underused and just a little disorganized, so I made a decision to repurpose it for this venture. Ideally, the drawer must be in an area that’s simply accessible to the entire household however not in a heavy-traffic space the place it could possibly be a distraction. Our kitchen labored completely as a result of it’s near our household’s day by day actions, nevertheless it’s not the place the place we go to unwind at night time.
You don’t want to purchase a brand new drawer—simply discover one which you have already got in your kitchen, workplace, or front room that’s not serving a lot of a goal. If the drawer is just too small or shallow, you may wish to contemplate swapping it for a deeper one that may accommodate a number of units.
Step 2: Set up a Energy Strip Contained in the Drawer
That is the place the magic occurs! The important thing to creating a charging drawer work is including an influence strip or surge protector contained in the drawer. This lets you plug in all of your units in a single place, maintaining every thing organized and out of sight.
I selected an influence strip that match completely contained in the drawer, with sufficient retailers to cost a number of units without delay. It’s essential to pick out an influence strip that has an extended sufficient twine to achieve your nearest outlet. You additionally need one with surge safety to make sure the protection of your units. Be certain the facility strip is positioned in a means that enables airflow to forestall overheating. To perform this, I re-wired a plug that was exterior dealing with on the facet of a cupboard to be inside dealing with. This left the cupboard beneath largely open. It now shops rubbish luggage and huge containers for the kitchen.
You may as well add charging cords which are lengthy sufficient to comfortably attain from the facility strip to your units. I like to recommend maintaining a wide range of cords for various units—some for iPhones, some for Androids, and others for iPads or tablets.
I did discover energy strips particularly designed for this. However at virtually $300 every, I needed to attempt a DIY possibility and am glad I did.
Step 3: Add a Silicone Mat to Defend the Drawer
As soon as the facility strip was put in, I added a silicone mat to the underside of the drawer. This protects the floor and prevents any units from slipping round. Silicone mats are heat-resistant, non-slip, and straightforward to wash, making them good for this type of venture. Additionally they add a pleasant contact of group, maintaining every thing in place and looking out tidy.
Step 4: Set up the Cords and Gadgets
Now comes the enjoyable half: organizing the cords and units. I made certain to maintain every thing neat and accessible. This concerned coiling the cords and utilizing small clips to maintain them from tangling. I additionally made certain to go away sufficient room for every machine to relaxation comfortably whereas charging.
For our household, the charging drawer has grow to be the go-to spot for telephones, iPads, and every other units that want a cost. Everybody is aware of the place to plug of their units. There’s additionally no must seek for chargers or battle over who will get to plug in first.
Our Household’s Charging Routine and Display screen Time Habits
Since we added the charging drawer to our kitchen, it’s actually helped us set up wholesome habits round our machine use. Right here’s how we use it:
- Gadgets are charged in a single day within the kitchen: We’ve made it a rule that telephones, iPads, and different units should be charged within the drawer in a single day. This ensures nobody is tempted to examine their units late at night time. And we get up with totally charged units, prepared for the day forward.
- No screens after darkish: We attempt to keep away from utilizing screens after darkish, particularly within the hour or two main as much as bedtime. With the charging drawer, it’s a lot simpler to maintain units out of attain and out of thoughts throughout this time. This behavior has helped enhance our sleep high quality, particularly for the youngsters.
- Household-wide tech detox: We’ve additionally made it a behavior to maintain screens off throughout household meals. This has made supper time a extra related expertise. We use this time to catch up, chat about our day, and give attention to one another with out distractions.
Conclusion: The Advantages of a DIY Charging Drawer
Including a DIY charging drawer to our kitchen has been among the finest issues we’ve executed for our household’s tech habits. It’s a easy resolution that promotes more healthy sleep, reduces distractions, and encourages extra conscious use of our units. By maintaining our telephones and tablets in a devoted area, we’ve created higher boundaries between expertise and rest. It’s additionally improved our total well-being.
In case you’re in search of a easy method to make your house extra organized and tech-friendly, I extremely advocate organising a DIY charging drawer. It doesn’t take a lot time, and the advantages are completely value it!
Joyful charging, and right here’s to more healthy tech habits for the entire household!
What are your loved ones’s guidelines and habits round units? Depart a remark and tell us!
