Trousers and skirts and jackets- oh my! Why fall cleaning is good for the psyche.

So you know another winter is just around the corner and the thought of being trapped in your home for the next 4 to 6 months makes you feel tired and sluggish.  One way to fend off the winter blues is to get your closets and drawers organized now instead of waiting until spring.   Take a look at your summer wardrobe and weed out the items that never saw the light of day this past summer.  Chances are good the same thing will happen next summer too.  Did you make any summer clothing purchases this year?  Give away a clothing item for each new purchase you made.  This is a great way to pay it forward to someone less fortunate than you and to keep your closet from bursting at the seams.

Start with your bedroom closet.  If you cannot do it alone- ask a friend to come over and help you- then agree to do the same thing for him or her.   If the project feels too overwhelming to take on all at once, set aside 20 minutes right after dinner and tell yourself you will only work for those 20 minutes.  You will be amazed at how much progress you can make.  In one week you will have done almost two hours of work!   Want an instant organizing boost?  Buy an over the door shoe organizer.  They are an inexpensive and easy way to make more space on your closet floor.  Here’s a tip:  If you have more pairs of shoes than organizing pockets- “pare” down- keep only those shoes you have room for.

While you are sifting through your summer items, consider thinning out the winter wardrobe as well. It will make less work for you in the spring.

Be ruthless and brutally honest.  Do you really want/need that dress/trousers/pair of shoes? The psychological lift you will get from donating an item and having more space in your closet will far outweigh the pleasure you might get from wearing it. Choose to keep items that make you feel really good when you wear them.   You know which ones they are- those that give you an extra spring in your step;  those that always illicit a compliment.

“Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think.”
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Next time I will talk about how to sort the items you choose to keep so that you can spend less time hunting for what you need.

Cathy Bonello -

Professional Organizer, A Space 2 Breathe