THE BENEFITS OF PURGING YOUR CLOSET
Getting dressed can cause a great deal of stress for some women. The clothes we wear say a lot about us, yet a lot of us hate our clothing and we do not like getting dressed in the morning. Let us learn together the benefits of purging your closet.
REASONS TO PURGE
Is your closet overflowing?
check.
Feel like you never have anything to wear?
check again.
Do you find yourself aimlessly wandering around the mall and stopping at sales?
Dang. Why do you know my life?
When I answered yes to all of those questions, I knew that my cluttered life originated in my need to be surrounded by clothes. I couldn't take the mess anymore. So out went 10 pairs of shoes, 4 plastic bins, and 3 garbage bags of clothing. After that, I STILL was getting rid of clothes for weeks, so if that gives you any clue to how much crap was overloading my closet, you understand the need for the purge.
If you also answered yes to these questions, it is time for you to purge your closet. I know that it sounds counter productive since you feel like you have nothing to wear but that is because your closet is full of clothes that you hate, don't fit you, aren't the right color etcetera. Getting rid of the clothing that you don't need is a liberating feeling but can be an emotional and physical drain. Here is a guide that will help you to effectively purge your closet.
THE BENEFITS OF PURGING YOUR CLOSET
Having more in your closet does not mean you will have more options. It could only mean that you will have more junk. Living a life surrounded by clutter is not a step toward balance it is a step toward stress. Your living environment can cause some serious strain on you emotionally. For me, I get to a place where I feel stuck. I feel like I cannot do anything and the clutter just keeps building. When I feel that way, I know that getting rid of some things can only cause me relief. In essence, purging can help you discover your style, have less clutter, less stress, efficient outfit building, and you'll spend less money.
Being attached to your possessions is never a good thing. I was sitting in church one Sunday and my pastor gave a sermon about being a lover of possessions. Matthew 6:19-21, 24 reads:
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money"
That hit me because I knew I was at a place where my possessions meant WAY too much to me. Especially my clothes, because of how much I enjoy fashion. I had to learn how to get rid of things that were just causing disorganization and stress. I can't take them with me when I die anyway. (I also don't want to leave my loved ones sorting through it all when I'm gone either)
I also found this great article on Time Magazine that talks about how unhealthy it is to be attached to possessions. When we find ourselves extremely wrapped up in the things we have we also find ourselves suffering a great deal when these possessions are lost. If I lose everything, I want to be able to pick myself up and keep it moving.
Don't get me wrong, I STILL love clothes, and I still own a good amount, but I also know how to get things out. I have them, but I know I can do without them that is the lesson that I learned.
PREPARING TO PURGE YOUR CLOSET
I mentioned that the process of purging your closet can be a physical and emotional strainespecially if it is something you have not done in years. There are many reasons why we hold on to things. Sometimes, we have our "skinny" clothes for when we can finally fit them again, we have our "fond" clothing that bring back great memories, we have "nice" clothes that we are afraid to wear, and we have the clothes that we paid to much for so we can't part with them. In order to purge your closet effectively, try to have you mindset on the overall benefit of having a streamlined closet. I am telling you, I stress out way less about what I am to wear.
Before I give you the five simple steps to purge your closet, I encourage your to take the time to prepare your mind and get ready for some emotions to flow out. It can get frustrating and tiresome so it will work better if your mind is ready to let go.
Now that you have determined your desperate need to get rid of some clothes, it is time for you to prepare your mind for it. Take time to reflect on why you've come to the conclusion, and next time, I will give you the first five steps to purging your closet! In the meantime, let your friends know that this has helped you start your own closet purge journey