Streamline Your Space

If watching six seasons of Queer Eye has taught us anything, it’s that changing the outside can affect everything.  

Like doing a cleanse, giving up certain things (coffee, sugar, dairy) is uncomfortable at first, but by the end, you usually feel ready to conquer the world. Streamlining your space is like that.

The medicine of a streamlined space is that it helps release stagnation and creative blocks, and makes room for fresh ideas and inspiration. It also helps reduce overwhelm and encourages us to turn a gimlet eye on the rest of our relationships, and eliminate the ones that are toxic.

Below are some of our best ideas on how to streamline and tidy your space for an enhanced experience of calm as we move into Spring (and couldn’t we all use a bit of that right now?).

*It’s important to note that decluttering is not organizing. Begin with getting rid of the things that you no longer need or want. Have a plan for taking them out of your home. (No piles of things sitting around for months waiting to be donated or taken to the dump!) Once you’ve made space, you can begin to organize the things you’ve chosen to keep.

Small, Bite-sized Sessions
Prevent burnout and overwhelm. All that stuff didn’t arrive overnight, and getting rid of it isn’t going to happen in a day. Choose sections of your home and focus for a few hours at a time. Set a deadline for your finish date and stick to it.

Be Strong
If you haven’t used or worn it in a year, it’s time to let it go. Store sentimental items (family photos, your grad school thesis) in storage areas that are harder to reach (also known as deep storage).

Location, Location, Location
Store the things you use daily in convenient locations. Don’t intermingle them with things you use less often. This helps you feel streamlined and clutter-free for longer.

Do It Often
Make it a seasonal habit! Streamline twice a year. Once you’ve done it initially, decluttering and organizing will be much easier.

Discernment
When you buy something, consider whether you actually need it, and where you will store it. Invest only in the things that you really love (like amazing Bodycare), and you’ll buy less stuff in the end. 

Happy #SustainableSelfCareSunday! May you find your Zen place everywhere you are.