As life goes on, things tend to collect. Yes, that means actual things (furniture, clothes, kitchenware, etc.), but it also means other, less physical things. What do you do when you find yourself buried under the weight of too much in your life? Start small and get rid of the things in your life that you consider junk.
Free Your Phone
Have you ever tried to take an awesome picture, but your phone refused to take it until you cleared up some space? Avoid that happening altogether by going through your phone and getting rid of unnecessary clutter.
- Texts. If you have an iPhone, then texts can be especially taxing on your digital free space. Go through your phone nightly and clear out all your texts throughout the day. Ensure that you write down or save any necessary information in your texts first (like names or addresses). If you’ve got an annoying slew of marketing texts coming through, download an iPhone text message blocker to stop them from coming to you.
- Apps. We’re all guilty: An ad comes up for an amazing new game that you played religiously for three days, got bored of it, and never touched it again. Go through your apps and get rid of all the games and unnecessary junk that you don’t need or use. You can even get rid of built-in apps that come stock with your phone that you find utterly useless.
- Pictures. Pictures are tough to delete because they are sentimental, and you want to look back on them from time to time. But be real with yourself. How often do you actually look back on your photos from three years ago? Upload them to a site like Shutterfly to keep them safe and delete them from your phone.
Part Ways
Sometimes “clutter” can mean toxic relationships. Not all friendships were built to last forever, so know the signs of an unhealthy friendship and when to cut your losses and get rid of this person from your life. “Breaking up” with a friend can be one of the most difficult things that you ever have to do, but for your emotional and mental wellbeing, it’s worth it in the end.
- The best way to end a friendship is face-to-face. Have a straightforward, honest conversation with this person and tell them how they make you feel. Use words like “I feel” and “in my opinion” to avoid making the other person feel more defensive.
- If this person has been mean, manipulative, or downright nasty to you, then you owe them nothing. Drop them like a Hot Pocket and sever ties altogether. The explanation in these cases usually goes without saying.
- Be strong. It’s usually an excellent reason that a friendship needs to end, so don’t feel bullied or guilted into keeping this person around. If you’ve concluded that the friendship isn’t worth it, then it probably isn’t.
Take Back Your Home
Let your surroundings showcase your newfound respect for ending clutter and take a stand against it.
- Clear off all your surfaces and put things back where they belong. Cluttered surfaces automatically make a house feel messy.
- Go through your closets and get rid of or donate any items that you no longer wear. Remember that if there are rips or paint splashes across your clothes, donation centers don’t want them any more than you do.
- Deep-clean your baseboards and wipe down your walls. You’ll be amazed at how much dust and hair you will find.
Junk can be literal or metaphorical. Whatever clutter is weighing you down, free yourself by parting ways with it. You don’t need extras in your life bogging you down.