There comes a time in every woman’s life where she needs to come face to face with her truth. And for me, that truth is that I, Andrea, am a messy person, and I’ve come to terms with it. I accept the fact that there are days where you can’t see the floor of room and after weeks of looking for something, it magically appears under the pile of clothes on my bed. Not to mention I always found an excuse for the mess that I created myself. Tsk, Tsk. However, just because I’m messy, it does not mean I’m dirty. In fact, I’m the worst kind of neat freak: whenever I clean, I like everything to appear tidy. Marvel on my perfectly made bed with all the candles beside it, that I’ve spent 20 minutes rearranging. Sit down and look through the books I’ve carefully laid out and even feel free to look around my makeup collection and try things. Wonder on the beauty that it is my colour-arranged closet. But for the love of God, do not look under my bed and whatever you do, do not open any drawers, for you might be terrified of what you’ll find.
This is a very stressful way to live and it is why I have decided to make a change. I can no longer live a lie, Collegiettes! And even though I have been blessed with the ability to know exactly where everything is no matter how messy my room, it’s time to part ways and look for new skills. So, for the sake of my mental health and this article, I tried a few tips and tricks over the past month, and thus began my journey, starting from the bottom just like Drake. Here are 8 tips that I’ve gathered that will hopefully help you too.
-
Mentally Prepare: Mind over body, am I right? Sometimes we need a little push to tackle the monster that can be our room, but fret not, it’s not as scary as it seems! What I like to do is think about cleaning my room before bed the day before. I know, I know, this might sound pointless, but when I wake up the next day, I’m a woman on a mission and I usually get said mission done.
-
Set Goals: I don’t know about you, but whenever I see a big mess, I have a hard time determining where to start. Sitting down and thinking about what you want to accomplish before you start helps you to get things done and stick to your plan. You don’t have to clean your entire house in one day, you can start with your room or bathroom, and then slowly make your way around the house. That way you don’t panic about how much you have to do. Also, don’t focus on the negative. It might be a silly thing to say, but instead of focusing on how much you have left to do, focus on everything you’ve done so far. This way, you don’t associate cleaning your room with negative thoughts and make it an easier task to accomplish!
-
Clean As You Go: Have you ever heard the phrase: “If you clean your bathroom everyday you never have to clean your bathroom?” It’s such a wonderfully ridiculous phrase and I’ve learned to love it so much that all I want to do is shout it at my grandkids when I’m old and cranky. Cleaning up after yourself is the easiest hack I can ever give you. Why, you may ask? Think about it, whenever you leave dirty things around the house, you’re just leaving stuff around for you to pick up later. Doesn’t that sound exhausting? Instead, by cleaning as you go, you control some of the disorder and chaos that might be in your life, leaving you more time to handle other things. Now, if you’re asking: Andrea, what happens if I have a busy life and just can’t clean everyday!? Don’t sweat it! Just pick a day of the week where you – if you have roommates this applies too – have some free time and dedicate that time to cleaning. Think of this as a way of pampering yourself, since you’re decluttering your physical space, making it easier for you find peace in your home.
-
Rely On Your Planner: Now, you know how much we all love our planners here at Her Campus, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that I’m telling you this. If your memory is anything like mine, then you know it isn’t the most reliable. By writing things on your planner, you’re bringing clarity and focus by setting goals, exams, appointments or anything else you might include in it. So, if you rely on your planner to carry you through the day/week/month, then this way you will never forget to clean, because you’re constantly reminding yourself of what to focus on.
-
Attack! Tackle whatever is in front of you. Start by pulling everything out from the area you want to clean first, I.E. bathroom ,and place it on a clear area on your floor, chair or anywhere that has free space. But don’t take everything out at once, because this might overwhelm you and cloud your mind. Remember: Keep goals small. You don’t have to clean, redecorate and feng shui your entire house in one day. Keep goals small.
-
Categorize: Think of this as a less entertaining version of Kill, Marry, F**k. If you find something you haven’t seen in a very long time and you aren’t immediately happy or relieved you found it, or you don’t see any use for it in the near future, throw it away. Of course, when I say throwaway, I mean donate or sell – unless we’re talking about something that’s stained, eternally smelly or super old. You can donate your clothes to The Salvation Army, your school’s clothes drive or a local thrift shop. Also keep in mind that there are a few things that will remain with us forever and this tip doesn’t really apply to them. If you’re having a hard time with letting go of something, ask yourself how many ways you can use/wear said item. If the answer is +2 ways, keep it.
-
Try A Capsule Closet: This is a really good idea if you’re trying to save time in the morning and money on your wardrobe. So, what exactly is a capsule wardrobe? A capsule wardrobe is a small collection of useful clothing, that you love, that changes with each season. If you’re brave enough to give this a try, getting dressed will become so easy! This is a great way to simplify your mental space and no longer will you spend your morning complaining about not having enough clothes and struggling to find an outfit. Because, let’s be honest, you know what clothes fit you the best and what colours go with your skin tone, so this shouldn’t be that hard to do. However, if you’re like me and you just love everything in your closet, try colour coding your closet or placing similar garments in one area, that way it’ll be easier to spot things on those mornings where you can only find one ballet flat and your favourite pair of jeans are in the washer. But don’t forget the previous tip, don’t overload your closet and learn when to let go of things.
-
Don’t Beat Yourself Up: Learn to live in the present. Don’t feel bad because one day you decide to grab coffee with a friend or finish your homework instead of cleaning. But most importantly, learn to accept yourself for who you are. Don’t try to be someone you’re not because of what others might think you should be and don’t be scared to try new things. If the tips you read on this article don’t work for you, don’t worry, I have faith that in time you’ll learn what works. And if like me, you vow to maintain your new cleanliness – sort of -, I salute you.
Good luck fighting those dust bunnies and happy cleaning!