5 Mins Read
With Christmas coming around the corner and the end of the year fast approaching, many of us have made it a bit of an annual ritual to do some much needed house cleaning. This is a common practice before the Lunar New Year as well, so why not take an early opportunity before 2020 comes around to free up some space? But we’re not just talking about our homes at Green Queen – we want to declutter our minds, bodies and souls too, the eco-friendly way of course!
Online Decluttering
We have so much going on in our phones and laptops all the time. From the accounts we are subscribed to on social media, or our friends lists on social networking sites. Even the number of apps on our phones – how many of them do you use? It’s time to do a clean out and unfollow accounts that don’t leave you feeling positive. Delete the apps that you haven’t opened in months. Remove yourself from sites that you barely use anymore.
Take Time Offline
Why not take it a bit further? It can feel like our entire lives are online nowadays, so take a break this holiday season. It’s okay to turn off our phones and laptops temporarily and live fully in the moment. Dive into that book you’ve been meaning to read for months, or sit and unwind with some music. We all need some time offline, and it will leave us recharged for the new year.
Declutter Your Plate
What you eat matters! It’s time to think about what we’re putting on our plates. Have you been consuming lots of packaged and processed foods? Is your meal carbon-heavy? Ditch the meat and dairy – studies have shown that consuming these foods are correlated with a plethora. Start loading up on fresh, whole plant foods that are produced locally whenever possible. Your body will thank you for it, and the planet will too.
Flush Away Those Toxins From Your Body, Soul and Mind
We need to declutter our bodies and flush out those toxins! Drink that extra glass of water and make sure you’re hydrated every day. Start incorporating breathing exercises, which will help to fuel our bodies and brains with much-needed oxygen. Go for a jog to break a sweat, or practice some yoga and meditation at home. Taking care of our bodies is essential for our health, both mentally and physically.
Declutter Your Contacts
Speaking of mental wellness, the holiday season is a great time to really reflect on what we spend our energy on, and whether we want some change for the new year. Are there people in your life that bring about negative and discouraging thoughts? It’s okay to be strict with the people you speak to and create a community with, and it’s important to do so if it’s something that interferes with your wellbeing.
Clear Out Your Wardrobe
How often do you wear that scarf stuck in the back of your wardrobe? The holiday season is the perfect time to start keeping a capsule wardrobe, a small collection of clothes that you wear on the regular. We’re not telling you to just “get rid” of everything else though, make sure to find a new home for your preloved pieces, whether it’s through gifting them to friends or donating to charities. Older, worn out textiles can always be recycled at community stations, or upcycled into something new at home!
And The Rest Of Your Home Too
The same goes for your home! Is your bookshelf overflowing? What about all those receipts that are shoved in a drawer? While receipts are not commonly recyclable, make sure that you do recycle what can be. Make a pile three piles: one for recyclable materials like paper, metal cans and plastic, another for donation and giveaways, and a final section for you to do some D-I-Y upcycling or repurposing.
Make Sure The Clutter Won’t Come Back
Your whole decluttering project won’t mean a thing if the clutter comes right back! So once you reach the end of the decluttering process, make sure you have a plan in place. A good rule to follow is to not purchase anything that you won’t use at least once a month, and when you do purchase, try to always buy secondhand. Try rental options, or organise monthly swaps with your friends. Do your food shopping in bulk to avoid packaging waste. Take a stand against our consumer culture and don’t be enticed by shopping discounts!
Lead image courtesy of Restoration Master Finder.
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