Everyone knows that spring is usually the time when we clean and declutter, but honestly why? Why do we wait for the weather to dictate when we can throw junk away and streamline our possessions? What really motivates us during the spring to declutter, and how can we translate that to all times of the year? Here are some tips on why and how to declutter and organize your life.
1. The WhyLet’s start with the why: why you should declutter. On the most basic level, you need the space. In college, most of us live in small rooms and maybe even share a bedroom, so we all need to use our space wisely. If you’re anything like me (a total neat- freak) organizing may come naturally to you, but if you do struggle with it, all I can say is that it takes practice and dedication. As lame as it sounds, you have to choose to be organized. Try out the Marie Kondo technique of only holding on to items that spark joy.
2. The BasicsGet that bed made, dust off that dresser and take out the trash. Clean up your desk, and put your clothes away. These are easy things that can help you get in the habit of decluttering. By following through with simple tasks, how much more can you accomplish down the road? According to this Headspace article, decluttering can “mentally prepare us for other activities”. Cleaning up our physical items can allow us to do more activity, it gives us a sense of accomplishment, and it “gives us time to think about or organize the activity in which we are about to engage.”
Next step, let’s look at clothes. However, your clothes are organized, take a good look at them. Just examine all that you have and really think if you need everything. Then, take items that you haven’t worn in months and toss them aside. If you find a piece of clothing that doesn’t fit, donate it. If you see something you know you will never wear again, toss it out. Again, Marie Kondo recommends holding each item in your hand and deciding if it brings joy to you or not. Items that you don’t love, you can toss. Read this article to learn more about how you can organize, declutter and bring your whole closet back to life.
Next up, let’s take a look at your material possessions. All of those tiny objects that physically clutter up your room and make it hard to keep things in place. A majority of your tiny knick-knacks probably hold sentimental value or were given to you. Those are going to be harder to part with. But, it’s not impossible. Are there things that you can put together or arrange somehow that they take up less space? For example, if you have important notes or cute desk items toss them in a small basket, mason jar or even jewelry dish. For hair ties, bobby pins and makeup, I use coffee cups and other jars. Rather than just using items for decoration, put them to use! When everything has a place and things are put away, you will feel less cluttered, even if you didn’t toss away anything.
Don’t forget decluttering your communication devices! Your phone and laptop probably hold the greatest amount of junk, and you probably don’t even think about it. Let’s start with your phone. Go through and delete all of the apps you haven’t used in months. Once you eliminate items that don’t need, you’ll be able to start over with a clean slate. Your photos are a whole other problem. Personally, I go through my photos every couple of weeks and delete dozens that I don’t need. Next mountain to tackle? Your laptop. I’m not going to lie, this will take a while. I go through all of my documents at the end of each semester and it takes me a good 20 to 30 minutes. Delete your old work that you don’t want and things that you accidentally downloaded. If you don’t want stray documents on your desktop, clean them up. Personally, it saves me so much time to have everything in the right folder. If that isn’t your style, find what works for you. No matter how you organize your electronics, find a style that works and stick with it. You will be amazed how much time you save by keeping your files organized, your photos in line, and your apps clean. Here are some more great tools to help streamline your work online.
6. HeadspaceWe all have those days and weeks where our brains cannot take in anything more. According to this Headspace article, decluttering can, among other things, remind us that change is good, make us aware of our consumption habits and give us a way to slow down. So, if decluttering your physical items can have such a great benefit on your mental health, how much more would actually “cleaning” out your mental space have? Take time for yourself to “clear” out your head. Go take a walk, do some yoga or maybe just read a good book. Your mind, like your belongings, need a good “refresh” sometimes.
These are just a few basic areas of your life that you can declutter, but there are dozens and dozens more. Each one of these areas has the immense possibility to help you stay more organized in your life and keep you on track. Try starting with these simple tips to clean out and declutter your life.