Fall is the season of beauty and decay. This season represents a transition period between the balmy breezes of summer and the frigid winds of winter. It’s a time of appreciation for the earth’s last slivers of color, and a time of preparation for the bleak months ahead. It’s also the perfect time for decluttering your life and moving on from past ghosts. It’s like spring cleaning, but for autumn! Here are my favourite ways to declutter my life when I’m feeling too overwhelmed around midterm time.
1. Declutter your living environment.
Material objects we never use only weigh us down. Whether it be old clothes, boxes you have scattered around from moving in, or miscellaneous junk, getting rid of any unused possessions will make your environment more pleasing to be in, which in turn encourages motivation and peace of mind.
2. Declutter your workspace and course notes.
Decluttering your desk is basically like decluttering your own brain. It helps you focus and lessens distractions. Decorate your work area by putting up inspiring posters and adding things that make you happy, like candles, colourful stationery, or plants (which are proven to help boost motivation!) What I find really helpful as midterm prep is to organize my course notes, combing through all the details and reviewing any concepts I don’t understand. Taking a mental inventory of your knowledge at this halfway point of the semester will help solidify all your learning up to that point, and give you the extra confidence boost you need to continue building upon it.
3. Declutter your mind.
Your brain is a friend, so treat it like one! Take breaks often, rewarding hard work with gifts to yourself. Make time for the things you love to do and do them often. Practice methods of mental relaxation and healing, like meditation and yoga. Take up new hobbies when you get bored of your old ones. Lastly, don’t be afraid to have fun and step outside of your comfort zone. Fun is allowed, and in fact, required to make your time here at Queen’s worthwhile! You’d be surprised at how much you miss out on when you don’t take your chances every now and then.
4. Declutter your heart.
Your heart is at the centre of a successful decluttering. It bears the brunt of heartbreak and experiences the imprint of love all at the same time. That said, we’ve all had our fair share of heartache from pursuing someone we knew was completely wrong for us. Remember that this transition time is for letting go, so make it a point to cut out toxic friends or people who put you down more often than they lift you up. Don’t be afraid to cut the cord on relationships headed toward a dead-end.