Are you reading for the spring purge?
Are you ready for the purge?
I’m sure you’re gearing up to do some spring cleaning and while you’re at it, perhaps it’s time to purge and toss/donate things that no longer serve you. It also allows you a deeper clean when you do this.
Like most people, I owned more than was needed. I’ve got from having my own apartment, to having a two bedroom and roommate, to living in a house and now I live in a small studio. I realize how much I owned when I moved into a studio. Also, being a student in massage therapy school, I had my massage table, all my tools, things I acquired through classes and a ton of textbooks.
I finally got sick of seeing all the clutter and figuring out where to put things and I decided it was time to purge. I’ve done it more than once because the first time, I had a hard time getting rid of some things. So here’s my tips.
First things first, get garbage bags, containers for donating or the bags can work for that and if you want, storage items to organize what you want to keep, cleaning supplies to wipe things down after cleaning them out.
Go room by room or area by area (if you live in a studio or have something like a storage cube that holds multiple cubes.
Whatever area you choose, empty everything out from that area. For example, we’ll sick with my storage cube holder, which holds 9 cubes. I empty out every cube on the floor wipe out the holders and the cubes then begin to look through things.
While going through things, if you haven’t used it, it’s broken, or maybe just a random item missing parts. Toss it.
While going through things, I separate things into piles that go together so when I’m done I can organize them.
When going through clothes, donate the things you don’t wear. I used to wear band tees constantly so I had a ton of those. Now that I no longer wear most of them, I put them in the donate pile.
If you have a bunch of shampoo, conditioner, or body wash consider getting rid of what you don’t use.
If you find things you no longer use but could sell, put those in a tote or whatever you choose and set aside. I usually sell my stuff on Facebook, that’s where I’ve had the best luck.
Feel free to set aside a container for undecided. You can leave it in there, make sure you write the date you put it in there on the container. If you haven’t had to get it out in three months, then you can get rid of it however you want.
Pick one area to start, finish it, take a small break if you need it, and move on to the next section.
Repeat as needed, I’ve done it four times in the two years I’ve been at this studio.
That’s how I do my purges. It feels so good to get rid of things, to have open space or even to just have it organized. Here’s a few random things that I wanted to share about purging.
You might get stuck on an item for a few reasons, such as sentimental value or perhaps it was a gift. But if you don’t use it, get rid of it. It’s not like it’s serving a purpose unless that it would affect you emotionally to get rid of it. Find a place to place it, perhaps you have a random container for storage that can be the stuff you don’t know where else to put things.
Psychology says that humans tend to feel like they are or their life is out of control when surrounded with more things than they ca manager. Mess causes stress to a person. It can make people feel bad or not want to clean because of it.
Sometimes you need to mentally prepare to get rid of things. It can be really hard for some people. But once I threw away my first item, I felt less guilty.
Try to think how good you’ll feel coming home to an organized home and the time you’ll save when you don’t have to dig around for things.
Once you purge, don’t buy more things you don’t need. Conserve you money and your space.
Although you’re getting rid of stuff (and you should probably buy containers after you’re done purging) you can get cute totes, boxes, shelves, or whatever you want to store things in.
Try to have fun going through things, picking your keeps or throw away.
You don’t need to conquer it all in one day. Take your time, don’t get stressed out.
Those are my tips for what I did when I purged. While it may seem daunting, think of how much better you’ll feel not having to dust all those little decorative items. It's time to stop filling our lives with meaningless clutter and fill it with happiness.
Vibe Higher,
Lobeless