Wednesday, October 6, 2021

WHY YOU SHOULD DECLUTTER

I spent my entire day off today picking up around the house. That consisted of laundry, deep cleaning, organizing, putting things away, getting rid of things and exhausting the hell out of mysefl! TBH I'm still wondering why I put myself through it all but after I dove in I was committed! I tend to keep things on the messy side so it was much needed. Despite being tired AF, I feel a lot more calmer and at peace with my space feeling organized and less cluttered. I was then inspired by all the adulting to make today's post which I hope you'll enjoy! Keep reading to learn WHY YOU SHOULD DECLUTTER!

Why-you-should-declutter-the-Kristen-diary-blog

+ PEACE OF MIND

I've always heard more intelligent people tend to be messy + unorganized so I'll proudly identify with this side of myself any day of the week, however I'll be real with you guys that I actually HATE IT. Whether at home or my desk, for me it's an endless cycle of pushing it off to do other things. This leads to it becoming too overwhelming where I don't know what to tackle first + therefore I push it off yet again. No matter how smart you may be, mentally I think a cluttered space actually clutters your mind. It distracts you + if you're like me, serves as a constant reminder that you are disorganized! I refer to this as "living in constant chaos." Decluttering today and reorganizing made all the difference- especially in my bedroom. I didn't do anything crazy, just put a few things away, vacuumed + tackled my pile of laundry. It looks so much better + I feel way more calm (and productive!).

+ DE-STRESS
Awhile back I heard that cleaning + doing chores can actually help lower anxiety and be calming. I thought about this and it actually makes a ton of sense. I don't know about you but most of the time when I'm cleaning or doing laundry, I'm only focused on that. I guess there's something immersive about figuring out where to put all your sh*t? LOL. If you're feeling stressed or need to let off some steam, try decluttering your space!

+ FIND HIDDEN GEMS
Whenever I'm organizing or putting things away, I tend to find things I'd forgotten that I have. For most of us, the 80/20 rule applies which essentially means you only use or wear 20% of your stuff 80% of the time. I think finding something you forgot about is great for a few reasons- you can either purge it or make a point to start getting some use out of it. Sometimes you come across misplaced or lost things too! Today, I was cleaning out what I thought was a bag of trash I had previously cleaned out of my purse. It was mostly just old receipts, however there was a worn looking gift card mixed in there too. I usually throw them back in my purse after I use them (now you know where the clutter comes from!!) so I assumed it was zeroed out, however I checked it to make sure and it was brand new! I never thought I'd be one of those "I found $20 in an old jacket pocket!" type of people but here I am, haha. Moral of the story, declutter + always check gift card balances!

+ GET MONEY
One perk of decluttering + actually getting rid of things is being able to resell them. Every so often I will go through and look for items in my closet that are worth selling that I'm ready to part with. Usually this is nicer brands or accessories (handbags, shoes, etc.). Not only is it nice to make a few extra bucks, it helps clear up more space and remove something that no longer serves you. I also love donating the things I don't want to sell that are in great condition!

+ GO SHOPPING
While I don't personally follow any rules for when it comes to buying + removing items (for every X you buy, get rid of X concept), decluttering the old is a great way to make room for new. If you sell some things, it's also fun to treat yourself with the $$$!

What are your decluttering tips?