We all love to collect things. However, too much of it can cause stress, disorientation, disorganization and eventually exhaustion. Hoarding more stuff than you know what to do with is a sign to stop. There is a place for everything, but there is also a time for everything.
Now is the time to make space for life, joy and happiness. But also because a minimalist approach takes away a lot of the baggage we unintentionally carry around each day. So let us get started on this little guide to decluttering.
Here are some tips to tidy up your home and wardrobe to simplify your life.
Be Picky
This is Jennifer Burger’s number one tip for decluttering and it’s about taking a moment to choose. Being picky about things doesn’t have to be a bad thing. For example, certain fabric blends like polyester, acrylic and nylon are not your good friends as opposed to organic fabrics. They also come and go in a jiffy as sooner or later, you do realize they’re not feeling good on your skin eating up lots of space in your closet and on our planet with the carbon emissions and the pollution already caused by their mass production.
One way to tackle this is by being very specific about your choices, likes and dislikes. Having a clear head about what you want, and what stays longer is what helps you form a healthy relationship between yourself and the clothes you wear.
So, in the grand scheme of things, you’re doing yourself a favour by choosing consciously, whether it be fabrics or style, thus reducing your carbon footprint in the long run.
One great thing about consciously curated platforms is that you can actually pay attention to detail, explore your likes and dislikes, and deep dive into the materials, process and their significance which can help you choose better.
Let Go
Do you ever notice the pile in your closet or a box in that corner that only sits there occupying lots of space, making you feel guilty every time you look at it? Neglect is malice. It drags you into the karmic cycle and makes you feel things that may not be healthy or progressive for you.
Seeing things for what they are without attachment is one way to help you see they’re just stuff. The next thing you can do before blindly discarding stuff is ask yourself why you ever bought them - why they exist in your sacred space and if they’re only turning your personal oasis of a house into some kind of a shelter for things that don't matter. This is the time to realize your toxic relationship with stuff and embrace the art of letting go. Learn about what drove you to make your prior choices and what drives you now to declutter. Observe your wants, desires and the urgency to shop things and slowly gravitate towards mindful shopping.
Slow Down
Now that you’ve read this article online about decluttering and how it’s going to smoothen your life doesn’t have to make you rush into anything. Let go of wanting to declutter quickly. You may have seen your mom take out extra special appliances from the closet to clean up over a wild weekend but that takes away the take away. And you need to be conscious of what you're doing and to what end.
Besides, after this one episode of hyper-decluttering, you’ll feel so much stress and hesitation because your last experience was so exhausting that this day may never come again at least for an entire month or so. But that’s enough about our parents and the last generation.
Enter slow decluttering. Remind yourself that your clutter was collected over time, and it might be a good idea to get rid of it slowly and steadily over time. Approach decluttering with a mindset of buying into a lifestyle rather than switching up everything you own with a minimalist agenda. Take your time and get there little by little. Then give yourself credit for following through with your slow plans to turn things around for you.
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