Like most things in life, I think decluttering is somewhat seasonal. There are just some areas that make sense to tackle at certain times of year. If you’re looking for ideas of what you should work on this winter, read on!
Decluttering categories for winter.
Here are five great areas to focus your decluttering efforts this season.
1. A storage area
The cold months are a great time to tackle one of those scary inside storage spaces, like the cellar, guest room, or linen closet. These areas are prime spaces for useless junk to hide.
Even though it’s out of sight, we’re still holding space for that clutter in our minds. We keep a running tally of everything in our house, even if we can’t see it.
Their time of hibernation and peace is OVER. Go disrupt all of that junk to make way for things you actually use and love. You’ll feel lighter when it’s done, I promise.
2. Blankets and pillows
Many of us keep far more linens, pillows, and throw blankets than we need. Since winter is when you’re using as much as you’ll ever use, it’s a great time to evaluate what you need and what you don’t.
A good rule of thumb for bed linens is not to keep more than two sets for each bed, if that. I like to keep two sets so I don’t have to wait on the dryer before I can go to bed if I wasn’t as prompt as I wanted to be in my sheet washing side quest. But having more than two for each bed serves no purpose.
If you have more throw pillows on a bed or couch than you enjoy using–i.e., they end up in the way or on the floor–reduce down to the ones you love and use. It really frees up space and removes those tiny annoyances throughout the day.
Donation tip: Animal shelters are usually thrilled to accept any blanket and pillow donations.
3. Planners, calendars, and journals
The year is over! Let’s clear out planners and calendars. If you like to hold on to filled journals but you don’t have a good system for storing them, now’s the time! Designate a box or bookshelf for those and ditch the old planners.
4. Fridge and freezer
When it’s soup, chili, and gumbo season, my fridge and freezer situation can get a little chaotic.
Soup season is also the ideal time to clean out the freezer (and pantry) because I like to make Fridge Soups where I scout out meats and veggies that need to get used up. It helps to pare down on food waste and clear space to store ✨new soup✨.
5. Goals and intentions that no longer serve you
People love to use the new year as a time to reevaluate and reinvent themselves. But to do that with a clear head and heart, it can be helpful to examine our previous goals. Which ones didn’t work out? Is there something you’ve been half-heartedly working toward just because you feel like you “should”, or because it felt important at some point in the past?
It’s okay to change your mind and let go of certain aspirations. If it’s not something you’re truly passionate about pursuing, you might just be wasting your time.
Now is a great opportunity to be honest with ourselves and confront what might have changed since we originally set those goals.
This post about yearly themes has some great journaling prompts you can use to check in with yourself and determine what’s important to present-day you.
Need some help decluttering?
Here’s a free list of 100 items that you can declutter today:
