This year I took spring cleaning to a new level. After moving home for the summer I realized my life was filled with an immense amount of clutter. This included things like clothes and old jewelry, but it also extended beyond just objects. I started to realize that half the contacts on my phone were from people who are no longer in my life.
I decided to declutter my life completely and it feels phenomenal! Old friends and memories can weigh you down significantly more than old objects. They are a constant reminder of the past, and let’s be honest, while some friends you simply grow apart from, some you leave behind for a reason. It’s time to let the weight of that version of yourself and of that time go.
Here are a few ways to declutter your life this spring:
1. Delete Old Contacts: If your phone is full of old contacts who you haven’t reached out to in ages, it’s time to simply delete them. The process of doing this will remind you of what you lost, but it will also remind you of the people who have remained in your life this whole time. You will grow to appreciate those who have supported you in the past and continue to do so today.
2. Take Down Old Pictures: Around my house I always have old pictures up on the walls and in frames. Some are cute childhood pictures with family and friends who I see still regularly. However, others are pictures that are not only outdated but are taken with people who are no longer in my life. I don’t mean get rid of pictures for those who have passed, I mean from friends who you have left in the past. Every day people support you and those are the people who deserve to be represented in the space you live in.
3. Donating Your Memories: Sometimes when we keep an object that carries a memory with it, it makes it difficult for us to move forward. When you donate it you’re giving someone else the opportunity to make new more positive memories with that object.
4. Updating Your Decor: When you make a decision to accept the version of yourself you are today, you deserve an update. Buy a new piece of art or a new poster. Get some new throw pillows or a new comforter. Feeling the change around you can help you come to terms with the change within you.
5. Redo/Rearrange: Not only is this a perfect excuse to actually spring clean and dust underneath or behind furniture, but it’s also a good way to come at the world with a new view.
6. Create New Space: Whether this means physical space or mental space it doesn’t particularly matter. Finding a new space allows you to try out new things and meet new people. Create a reading or meditation corner, or simply realize that it’s time to make space for new hobbies and new people and let go of the old. New is exciting and healthy and sometimes simply needed.
7. Start A Memory Box: This usually has to come with some rules, otherwise you might end up with ten boxes. However, starting a memory box is a great way to retain important childhood memories and memorabilia without feeling your space and/or life is too chaotic. Then at the end of every year, go through the box and throw out items that no longer feel worth keeping. Soon you will realize what memories you value and what only seemed important at the time.
For some time after losing or distancing myself from a friend/person I used to be close with, things can be hard. You might hesitate to eliminate them entirely just in case they come around or somehow you grow back together. However, after a certain amount of time you just have to come to terms with the fact that some friendships simply don’t last.
We grow, we alter and we change into people who are shaped by the past. Knowing that our past is part of who we are is one thing, but forcing ourselves to carry burdens of the past is another. Allow yourself the luxury of moving forward and you will find so much peace within yourself. What better time than spring to make get rid of the dead weight you carry?
Featured image via Volha Flaxeco on Unsplash
