Extensive Decluttering & The Mind

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Lately, I’ve been Decluttering my space. Like a lot. So much so, in fact, my mom was actually worried about me. But she should have been the opposite – she should have been happy for me.

For decluttering and getting rid of unnecessary things is wonderfully healthy for the mind.

I’m still surprised that I’ve just packed up 2.5 bin bags worth of clothes, even after having had multiple decluttering sessions over the last two months. But this just goes to show how much money and space I wasted with unnecessary clothing (amongst other things).

A clothing item is put in the bag if they tick one or more of these boxes:

I haven’t worn it in the last year
It’s worn out, stained, or generally not in good condition
I can’t think of an occasion or multiple outfits that it could go with
It does not “spark joy“, in the words of Marie Kondo (although I admit, I’ve not read this amazing book on tidying up)

Do you see? So the things that I’ve thrown away just aren’t things I want or need to carry into the new life I wish to build for myself. In fact, if I had the money, I’d probably throw out most of my current clothes and start afresh.

But I digress.

Why should you declutter your environment?

Good for anxiety and depression relief
Good for your overall mental health
Cleanliness is always a good thing
Clean and clear space = clean and clear mind
Productivity
Home beauty
Space
Awareness
Self-expression
Closure and freedom
Easier to generally maintain your home
Reinventing yourself and your space
Out with the old, in with the new

Here are ways you can declutter, too…

Decluttering your wardrobe

As I said, this one is a biggy . If you’re like me and you used to love clothes shopping, I bet there’s plenty of items you can donate to charity or sell online.

Start with your chest of drawers or a smaller space then work your way to your wardrobe. Get rid of anything that you wouldn’t want to wear now if you could. Get rid of things that don’t make you feel good. Clothes are an expression of the self, so think about that before keeping items that don’t spark joy. And lastly, get rid of things that you’ve not worn in the last 6 months.

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Decluttering your bookshelf

Don’t keep books just to keep them! If you’ve read it and you didn’t even like it or love it, what are you keeping it for?! Donate it and let someone else read it. I try to only keep books I haven’t yet read (and want to read) or books that really resonate with me/are collector’s items, like the Harry Potter series and the Song of Ice and Fire series.

Decluttering your shelves

Don’t be that guy who fills their shelf with useless crap. If something isn’t needed or isn’t beautiful, why is it sitting on your shelf? Get rid of it, and make your surface a cleared, neater space.

Decluttering your desk

Get rid of old papers.
Get rid of used notebooks.
Get rid of pens that don’t work.
Stationary you don’t use.
Then tidy the remaining things into an organised fashion

Decluttering your DVDs

No one watches DVDs anymore, do they? We have Netflix and Amazon Prime and basically digital files of films that we can keep. Don’t be a hoarder and keep DVDs that you don’t watch or really care about. The only ones you can keep are special collector’s items that mean something to you. If not, chuck it! Get the digital version and free up your space.

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Decluttering your cosmetics and lotions

I bet you have old, unused, and gift item cosmetics and lotions in your drawers and on your desk. Well, you know what to do.

Check the expiry date – get rid of expired items
Get rid of anything you haven’t used in the last 6 months

Decluttering that drawer, you know the one

We all have a drawer that’s just full of all that junk that seems useful at the time so you keep it, but it never is. Well, be ruthless and dig into the drawer and really ask yourself “what am I keeping this for?” If you don’t have a solid answer, bin it.

Then, organise whatever’s left.

Decluttering your apps

Get rid of apps you don’t use
Get rid of apps you have “just in case”; you can always download it again when you actually need it

Decluttering your social media

Unfollow accounts and people that don’t make you happy or inspire you
Unfollow accounts that make you feel jealous, upset, or bothered in any way
Unfollow people you follow just because you knew them from school, or because you want to be nosy – don’t be that person, move on
Turn off notifications from social media – so that you’ll look on their less

Decluttering your nooks and crannies

There is no real need for random things to be stuffed into nooks and crannies. Those spaces should be clear. Simple.

Decluttering your email subscriptions

No one likes waking up to 100 emails. So, take some time to unsubscribe from all of those sites that you thought you cared about but it turns out you don’t.

Delete old emails that you don’t need. Organise and categorise for ease of consumption, too.

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Extras:

Your Amazon wishlist
Your music on Spotify (or wherever)
Your spice rack
Your photos on your phone
Your notes in your notes app (or notebooks)
Your Tupperware
Your freezer food that has been there for way too long and you know no one will eat!
Your cupboard tops
Your purse: receipts, cards you don’t use, etc
Your bedding – washed out, wrong size, unused, don’t “spark joy“
Your used and chipped and not-favourite mugs
Your childhood teddies and toys
Your old games (board games or video games)
Your unused cables and wires
Your unused and unwanted gifts – it’s sad and you feel mean but it’s just clutter and mess in your life so do what you have to do
Your old birthday cards – what is the sense in keeping those?
Your posters that don’t spark joy or look good or fit who you are today or who you want to become

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All in all, there are soooooo many ways you can declutter your space. And you need to do this for your own health and happiness. Plus, it looks great! A less cluttered home gives more room to those things that actually make you feel good. Plus, it’s easier to clean and will make you want to invite people over!

Donate, sell, and throw out meaningless junk. Free yourself…

Don’t be put off by this long list. It’s easier than it seems when you break it all down into manageable tasks over a month or two. Don’t try to do it in one day! And remember, once you start, it becomes an itch and you just can’t stop! So, all you have to do is start.

Good luck!