De-Cluttering
Hi, all! I hope everyone had a good spring break and all the rest and sleep you wanted, you got. Because from now until finals end, it'll be a rough ride! But the good thing is we'll be rewarded with some warm weather. Who else can't wait for lazy beach days?
To make the transition to summer, this week on Survival Guide we're going to talk about de-cluttering and spring cleaning! I know, I groaned as I typed that too. But trust me, I'm going to be doing the same thing, so at least we're all in this together. Spring cleaning and de-cluttering in particular are known to have a very positive effect on our minds-- a lot of stress will be alleviated, your mind will feel freer, ready to tackle more stuff. Basically, your average productivity increases.
I'm not a clean freak or anything, but anytime I tackle a sink full of dishes or do a load of laundry, there's this feeling of cleansing that washes over me. I imagine if only a few dishes and clothes could make me feel that way, cleaning out that closet in which you've dumped all the extra stuff you don't need and/or don't use will feel extremely satisfying.
10 Tips on how to de-clutter your room:
1) Ditch the "freebies". Being in college and attending events means getting free stuff from a ton of places, and while that's a lot of fun, things add up and it turns into a box full of free stuff that you won't ever use. The occasional T-shirt or pen is great, but that's about it. Keep stuff you're actively using and will miss if they're gone, but throw the rest out!
2) Don't procrastinate on the little tasks, like clearing out your desk after a long night of studying. All the papers and books and empty coffee cups need to be cleared out. Don't you think cleaning out your desk after studying is such a satisfying feeling? It's like the feeling I get once I close the million and one tabs I'd opened while writing that 15-page paper.
3) Get your roommates to work together. Sometimes the mess is not just yours, but a collective one accumulated over time. Have an informal "roommate meeting" and hash out a plan to have the room cleaned out. Working together saves time, and it's a great bonding exercise for new roommates to get to know one another.
4) Make digital copies of class-handouts or other non-class related documents too. If your professor doesn't use Blackboard or a Wiki, either make your copies digital (i.e., scan them and save them on your computer) or buy folders for that class and have all your papers in one space rather than all over your room. Stuff like receipts add up pretty quickly--if you need them for some reason, store them in a contained space (shoe box) or simply throw them out! Additionally, most banks have gone digital so instead of having financial documents mailed to your home and accumulating space on your desk or drawer, go paperless and go green!
5) Plan for the seasons! Rotate your winter and summer wardrobe according to the current season. You definitely don't need that tank top or shorts when it's 30 degrees outside, so shove them all in a suitcase/box and store them until summer is here. And vice-versa for summer: you don't need that oversize sweater or fleece-lined leggings when it's nice and 75 outside. Store 'em until you need 'em.
6) Store your stuff. A stuffy dorm or apartment closet is never going to have enough room for you to spread your clothes, so I'm linking some great storage options through Target (you're obviously welcome to buy them from your choice of store):
~Stacking storage cubes
7) Organize items by purpose. The stuff you use and need everyday-- like your towel and backpack and toiletries should be in a place with easy access. Store stuff you occasionally/rarely use in less accessible places.
8) Donate the stuff you don't need/use. The entire process of boxing up things you don't use is the first step, but the next and final step is getting rid of it too. Donation is great because there's always a chance that what you don't need someone else might. Ditto with textbooks. Try selling your textbooks, and if that doesn't work, just donate them. The UMass Boston bookstore is a good place to donate textbooks to, and a quick Google search might give you about five more great options.
9) Don't be a hoarder! Like Elsa says, Let It Go! I suffer from this-- I keep everything for years thinking "Oh, I'll definitely need this" but in reality I don't even look at it again until I'm cleaning stuff out. So even though in the moment you might nostalgically think that that free book you got at an event about someone's inspirational life story might come in handy, but it won't. So save yourself some space (and extra work down the line) and let it go!
10) Use the Marie Kondo method. If you're struggling about what to keep and what to throw out while cleaning out your room, pick up each item and ask yourself "Does this bring me joy?" If it does, keep it. If it doesn't, throw it out. (Those of you who've avidly watched the Gilmore Girls Revival might remember a near manic Emily wearing a T-shirt and jeans and picking up random items and asking herself if it brings her joy).
~Closet space organizing tips (in case you're not interested in reading the book I've linked, here are some of the tidbits Kondo suggests):
- From left to right: jackets, sweaters, shirts/tops/blouses, pants/jeans, accessories.
- And fold everything vertically
The main incentive--apart from increasing productivity--for de-cluttering is that we're college students. Most likely, we're going to be moving out to a different place in 4 years, more or less. So what's the point in hoarding stuff you'll most likely end up throwing out in the end anyway?
Hope everyone finds this useful, and that I increased everyone's productivity. Have a great weekend, guys! We made it to yet another Friday!
-Manasvi