I am usually not a super sentimental person. With that being said, if you write me a note whether that’s a birthday card, a holiday card, or even if you drew me something silly on a gum wrapper or receipt, I promise you I still have it and will keep it forever. But when it comes to clothes, books, and beauty products,I try to make sure I go through and donate, or throw out expired products every 4-6 months. I have found that doing this not only makes it easier to keep my space clean, but feel clean too. Sometimes I can just tell when I need to declutter because I can feel that my room is messy and I have too much stuff that it makes my mind feel cluttered.
Start with the Closet
Whenever I declutter I always start with the closet because it is the biggest task and always sets the tone. I also think it is so important to keep up with decluttering your wardrobe because if you think about it, at this present moment do you actually wear everything in your closet? Probably not. I am not saying you need to get rid of bags on bags every time, but almost every time I usually part with a sweater that shrunk or a pair of pants that have a stain on them. Make sure, unless the clothes are really gross or tattered, that you are donating to local shelters and donation spots near you!
Books, Ect.
Next, I usually look at my bookshelf and other little trinkets around my room. This is harder for me because I LOVE my books. To be honest sometimes decluttering my books looks like giving a few to my mom to live on her bookshelf, so they are still in the house but I can access them as easily. That may be cheating but…. If I don’t give them to my mom or a friend, I usually bring them to my local library or put them in one of the tiny free libraries in my town.
Beauty Products
Beauty products do not have as long a shelf life as you think. A lot of them only last for about 6 months. I like to go through mine and get rid of ones that have expired, or maybe I don’t use anymore. Since you can’t really donate old products I usually ended up seeing if any of my close friends want to try them or my mom. If not, then these do sadly go in the trash, but I don’t usually have more then 1-2 products each time.
Overall, keeping my space clean helps my brain feel decluttered, which helps me be more productive. I also feel like when people hear I declutter often they think my room looks boring and unlived in and that couldn’t be further from the truth. I have posters and led lights up, I have cute notes and pictures of friends on my desk. I have stuffed animals on my bed and trinkets on my bookshelf. But everything brings me joy and has a purpose, even if it’s only purpose is my happiness. You don’t have to have a blank space to have a fresh space!