10 Ways to De-clutter Your Life
Since I was a little girl, Spring in my household has marked the complete life clean out aka... Spring Cleaning. Out with the old and in with the new. My mother's version of Spring Cleaning isn't just the pantry or the kitchen, it's a complete turn over, a new leaf they say. Looking back on it now, it was an amazing seasonal tradition that I keep up with even today. Now more than ever, I find it refreshing to detoxify my life. Today I'm sharing 10 ways to declutter your life.
1. Check in with your goals
How many times have you said to yourself that you're going to start working out, start eating right, write a book, finish reading a book... I can't even tell you the amount of times I've said this. For some reason, life always seems to get in the way so I put it off for a week, which turns into a month, and soon becomes a year. One year later, I'm exactly where I started off. This Spring, I'm putting myself in check. I'm making a deal with myself to get the things I want done, rather than putting it off for later because there is no time like the present. Life will always get in the way. You have to make yourself a priority.
2. Re-evaluate your relationships
Now that Valentines day is long past, the honeymoon fever should be cooling down and resuming normal temperature. In many of my relationships in the past, I always ignored the little things that bothered me and looked at the big picture... I was with someone, right? But if every time you need your significant other they are too busy to make time for you, and the little time that you do spend together, they are on their phone the entire time, is it really worth it? These are just my experiences but if there is something that bothers you in your relationship, talk about it with your significant other. If they make no effort to change or be more considerate of you, then you really don't need them in your life. There are plenty of fish in the sea as they say, who would love to treat you the way you deserve to be treated.
Now if your relationship is not like anything I mentioned, then sit back, relax, grab a bottle of wine and have a nice dinner with your man!
And if you're single, then you don't have these problems (YAY!). Take this time to evaluate what you want out of a relationship so that when it comes your way, you'll be able to recognize it and appreciate it.
3. Break up with toxic friends
This one is often a really hard one to do but you have to be able to discern who are your true friends and who are just there for the juicy gossip. First clue, people who gossip a lot to you, are for sure gossiping a lot about you. Get rid of negative energy in your friend circle. We all have our ups and downs sometimes but people who are simply miserable... well you know the saying; misery loves company. Break up with friends who stomp on your accomplishments, who are not uplifting, and who have no positive goals in life. Those who are not striving forward are sure to pull you back with them. Surround yourself with people who you can trust, people who make you feel good about yourself; not simply showering you with compliments, but those who accept you for who you are, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
4. Unfriend needless acquaintances
I remember when Facebook first started to become popular ( I might have just dated myself - but hey I was like 11 when I first signed up) people rushed to add to their friend count. You weren't anybody unless you had a minimum of 500 Facebook friends. It got so bad to the point where people would become "friends on Facebook" after 5 minutes of meeting each other, never see them again, never talk to them again and after a while, when you see them pop up onto your feed, wonder who the hell this person was in the first place? Get rid of unnecessary acquaintances in your life. Some acquaintances are good, like those that might add to your network of people for potential jobs in the future, but the ones who are just sitting in your cell contact list collecting dust... you're not going to be calling them anytime soon, I think it's safe to delete them.
5. Clean out your closet
If you haven't worn it in a year, toss it. If it doesn't fit anymore, toss it. If it is not style anymore, toss it. If it doesn't make you feel drop dead, beat for the Gods gorgeous -- TOSS IT! I try to clean out my closet as often as possible. Give them to your little siblings or cousins or even drop them off at a local clothes bank so they can go to someone who would appreciate it more than the back of your closet. You'll have a much easier time picking out an outfit for the day if all the clothes you own make you feel great.
6. Clean out your makeup
I'm almost embarrassed to say that I still have the first Mac powder foundation compact that I have ever purchased. I was 14 years old and begged my mother for some makeup of my own. After two months of begging she finally caved and took me to the Mac counter. I have treasured that powder like it was my own child ever since. Now I know what you're thinking -- NO I do not wear it anymore, but it's still in my vanity. I think I'm ready to let it go. What I mean to say is, makeup and other cosmetic products have expiry dates, they were not made to last forever. You know the drill: if it smells different, toss it. If it looks different, toss it. If it has a weird texture or has separated so much that there is this burnt yellow liquid separating the liquids from the oils, PLEASE TOSS IT! And even if you simply haven't worn it for a long time or you don't reach for it, give it away to someone who will enjoy it.
7. Clean the house (your room, bathroom...)
Nothing says Spring Cleaning like a clean house. Take a day (for me it's usually a Sunday) and clean your house from top to bottom. Wash the sheets, mop the floors, clean the bathroom, clean out the cupboards and all the nooks and crannies in your place. Sanitize the door handles, light switches and the other common areas in your house. If you can write your name in the layer of dust on your headboard, then you definitely need to clean it. I find I sleep much better when everything around me is spick and span. Crank on the tunes and get-a-cleaning!
8. Organize your workspace
They say a messy desk has a creative owner but I just can't seem to find the sense in that. I love my work space to be clean with everything in its place. What I mean by this, is when I'm not using it. When I'm studying, I cannot even see my desk beneath all the books, snacks and highlighters on it but if you're away from the desk, it will be more inviting to go back to it to study if it is clean.
9. Enjoy the quiet
Take time to be by yourself. Don't get me wrong, I love hanging out with my friends and having a good time surrounded by new people too but sometimes I like to be by myself. It really allows me to think, and I am the most creative when I am left to my own devices They call it headspace. It's the perfect therapy for working out problems, or calming yourself. Go for a nature walk, take a bath, do some reading, anything that will give you that time to enjoy the quiet.
10. Sleep more
This one is probably the most underrated tip ever: get some sleep. I'm sure you already know about all the amazing benefits sleep has on the body, but just sleep because it feels great and you'll wake up feeling great. Coming from a night owl, I can honestly say that when I go to bed earlier, I have so much more energy in the morning without that second cup of coffee. I also find I am much more productive during the day. There is nothing that you have to do today that you cannot do much better after a good night sleep and if you haven't had a dream in a long time, then its probably time to get some extra zees.
-xoxo