It’s Time to Cleanse

Is your home weighing you down and suffocating you to the point where you are uncomfortable in your own home? I’m not talking about being a hoarder; I’m just talking about being disorganized and having too much stuff. Do you find yourself saying “yes” to anything anybody offers to give you even though you don’t need or want it? How many items have been passed down to you that you really don’t use? What if we took inventory of everything we own? These aren’t tough questions, but they make you think. 

It may be time to refresh and revitalize your home in 2024. Here are six ways to cleanse in 2024.

Be more mindful. We need to be more mindful of the items we purchase. Think about the money you have wasted in the past on items. You may have items that are sitting in closets in boxes that haven’t been opened in years. Think about all the clothes that are hanging in your closet with tags still on them. Next time you go to purchase something, think about whether you really need it or are you just in the mood to buy something. 

Save money. Think about how many times you have purchased a duplicate item of something you already own because you forgot where you stored it, or you forgot you had it. If you are disorganized, you probably don’t feel like tearing apart the house to look for it, so you would just purchase another. Think about how much money you could have saved if you didn’t waste it on purchasing duplicate items. Create systems in your home by categorizing everything so when you need it, you’ll be able to find it. 

Get it out of the house. You are holding onto items that you’ve wanted to donate. You have items that don’t belong to you that you need to return. These items are cluttering up your home and need to go. If you are holding things that belong to other people, go through the piles, and make a list of all the people you have to return items to and send them back immediately. Put the bags of donations in the car, get them out of the house and plan to drop them off at a donation center. Take items you have to sell and make an appointment right away with a consignment store or schedule a yard sale. Are you holding onto items with the hopes that you can pass them on to other family members? Does the person you are giving it to really want the item? They might not want it but feel bad and take it and now it ends up in their home. It becomes a vicious cycle. 

Keep what’s important to you. I’m not telling you to throw away everything. I want you to keep the items that mean something to you. When you have too much stuff, the sentimental items get entangled with the items that don’t mean anything to you. As you declutter, decide what will be useful, what is sentimental, and what is never going to be used. You want to be able to appreciate the sentimental items. Decide whether you want to keep them in a box in a closet or whether you would like to display them. Don’t let the sentimental items become part of the clutter. 

Tell people how you feel. If somebody wants to pass an item down to you and you really don’t want it, be honest with them. Tell them that you don’t have room for it, or you don’t have effective use for the item. People should not be offended if you don’t like what they are handing down to you. If you don’t like it, don’t take it. How many of you have taken an item somebody has given you and it ends up in the back of a closet? It’s time to start telling people how you feel. 

Organize. You knew I couldn’t leave this out. Once you declutter and get rid of everything that you no longer need, it’s time to organize. Once you declutter, itemize, and categorize your belongings, it will be quite easy to get organized. Remember, break this process down. Don’t look at the project as a whole or you will get overwhelmed, stressed, frustrated, and nothing will get done. When you are organized, it’s easy to see what you have in your home. When you need something, you will find it immediately. You will be able to appreciate and respect your belongings. 

Watch how your energy will shift when you cleanse your home and practice some of the above tips. My clients describe this process as cleansing, cathartic, refreshing, and freeing. I know for some; this is a very overwhelming task. Break it down. Tackle one room a week or a month. You’ll feel amazing after you complete these projects and wonder why you didn’t tackle them sooner.