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Have you ever thought that maybe it was time to simplify your wardrobe? I went through that and it was a good thing!
I don’t know why, but something comes over me every spring. It seems I always get an overwhelming urge to organize my closets! Now, to be fully honest, I used to be a closet stuffer. I was the kind of person who had so many clothes in her closet that she had to physically stuff them in to hang them up and fit them all in.
And I had so many other things stuffed into every nook and cranny of my closet that I am amazed that I could even walk into it! But I realized that I was fighting to fish out the few articles of clothing that I actually wore on a regular basis. And I no longer knew exactly what was in my closet. It had become an all around junk depository! I knew that it was time to simplify my wardrobe.
So I gave myself a closet intervention. I took an entire weekend, cleared out my closet and set some rules to keep the overgrowth from occurring again.
So what did I do to thin out my closet clutter?
Cleared off all of the shelves
Sorted through all of the items and classified them in three groups….keep, donate or throw away.
Sorted through my shoes
I decided which shoes I still wore on a regular basis and either donated or threw away ones that weren’t suitable to donate. I really didn’t need 30 pairs of shoes….really!
Looked through my clothes and tried on everything in my closet.
If it was stained or had holes, it got thrown away or cut down for rags. If it didn’t fit, it got tossed in the donate pile. And if I just didn’t like it anymore, it got donated, because why wear something that doesn’t make you feel good, right? That still left me with more clothes than I needed, so I decided to try a surefire way to sort through more clothes….
I hung the remaining clothes with the hangers backwards on the rack.
In a year, any clothes on hangers that were still backwards got donated. This really cut down on the clothes I have in my closet and I was amazed to realize that I really don’t wear that many of the clothes that I own….so why keep them?
I go through this process at least once a year. It took me awhile, but I realized that all of the things that were gathering dust in my closet would be much better off being used by others who could actually benefit by using them, especially if I am not. So donating to charities like Goodwill, Salvation Army or any other local charities that can make a difference with used items just makes sense. And don’t forget to get a receipt, because you can write off donations on your taxes!
I do a yearly closet intervention each year, not just with my master closet, but with every closet and cupboard in the house!
And did you know that clutter in your closet and house can actually affect you on a psychological level as well? Clutter can contribute to excess stress! And stress in any form can ultimately affect your health and contribute to illness, so anything you can do to reduce stress can help to keep you healthy!
Time for a closet intervention?
So, when thinking about the closets in your house, do you need to give yourself a closet intervention? Do you have clutter in your closet that is only taking up space and stressing you out? Then make time to overhaul your closet and simplify your wardrobe. Plan your closet makeover in advance and give yourself plenty of time to weed out the things in your closet….especially if it hasn’t been done in awhile!
Donate the things that you are no longer using, so that others can benefit from them. If you aren’t sure about an article of clothing, turn your hanger backwards. In a year, see how many items you actually wear. Those on hangers that are still backwards should be donated.
And be sure to enlist your spouse, partner, family members or friends to help you organize if you can. That will make the job much easier! If it seems a little overwhelming, then break it down into more manageable chunks. Clean off one shelf or half a rack at a time. Make it easier for yourself so that you don’t feel so overwhelmed.
Giving yourself a closet intervention to help you simplify your wardrobe will reduce stress and help you feel lighter. You’ll be amazed how much better you’ll feel once you’ve finished and you see how much space you’ve gained!
Happy cleaning!
