Decluttering Away - A Guide To Self Care

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We were often taught as kids, the phrase, ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness’ and while back then, this was a means to promote good health and hygiene, it has also been scientifically proven to be associated with mental fitness. As the New Year dawns upon us and we look forward to new beginnings and experiences, cleaning, organizing, and decluttering are a few of the most effective ways to unwind from overwhelming thoughts and feelings. The amazing Marie Kondo says that ‘One must only keep those things that give us joy, much like our thoughts, we must keep those that make us happy and let the other negative ones pass us by. Decluttering shouldn’t just be about the things we possess but also about the physical spaces we occupy. The physical act of organizing distracts people from certain anxiety-inducing situations while simultaneously giving immediate control over one’s surroundings. Decluttering as a self-care practice is one of the most efficient practices since it requires no extra tools or skills to work with. Decluttering as a practice can be taken up at any point in time, by a person of any age group, gender, sex, and sexual orientation, and can be done from the comfort of one’s own home. Each individual can set their own pace when it comes to decluttering and have complete authority over the items that they don’t wish to keep. Usually decluttering as a process leaves one with 3 piles of articles namely, the ones that you keep, the ones that can be donated, passed on, shared with family and friends, and finally the ones that need to be discarded. 


The 90/90 Rule

There are a lot of different ways and techniques that help with decluttering, one of them being the 90/90 rule. According to this technique, while sorting one’s stuff, all one needs to keep in mind is if the item has been used in the past 90 days or if it will be used in the next 90 days. If the answer is yes, the item goes back to the closet and if the answer is no, it essentially doesn't belong in your space. 

Starting Small

A very useful tip while decluttering is starting small and setting up a time constraint for the decluttering session in order for it to not get too messy to be cleaned. By starting small, we can approach decluttering one rack, one closet, one room at a time. 

Designating Spaces

It is also important to designate respective spaces for all the articles before starting to rearrange the items. The process of decluttering can have a relaxing and calming effect when done mindfully in the absence of any external diversions and can be the most productive ‘me-time’ for most people. Pairing decluttering with a nice, soothing playlist of one’s choice with a scented candle lit in the room can aid in de-stressing and help ease into the process of decluttering as well. 




                                                                                                                          By- Hemanshi Arora 

References

  1. Davenport, B., & Scott, S. J. (2016). Declutter your mind: How to stop worrying, relieve anxiety, and eliminate negative thinking. Oldtown Publishing.

  2. 90/90 Minimalism Rule. (n.d.). [web log]. Retrieved from https://www.theminimalists.com/ninety/. 

  3. These 50 Best Decluttering Tips will Help You Get Organized at Last! . (2021, March 24). [web log]. Retrieved December 18, 2021, from https://parade.com/972469/marynliles/decluttering-tips/. 

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