Have you felt depressed in the morning, looking into your closet and trying to figure out how to make out your wardrobe, or what to wear? You are not alone. Around one in ten women in America feel the same way, and a quarter will admit that their closet spaces are completely disorganized.
Many of us have to face a long commute, or a full day ahead of work, so why do we add more stress before even stepping out of the front door? It is time for a change, so in the spirit of Spring or ‘spring cleaning’, we will explore how we can cut down on time for our wardrobes in a 2-post series.
Today, we will look at the Japanese method of cleaning and how we can declutter our wardrobes for a fresh start this season.
You are probably familiar with the term Konmari, from organizing guru Marie Kondo, a popular household name in recent years, where you sort and discard your items based on whether they ‘spark joy’. This idea though comes from a popular concept in Japan related to cleaning, called Danshari (断捨離). In Japanese Kanji, it stands for ‘refuse’, ‘discard’, ‘separate’, but in essence it means to clean and tidy up or purge, of physical and mental excess. And while the term is catching waves in recent years, even danshari is not an new concept and has roots in Zen Buddhism, which teaches to live with more simplistic, meaningful lifestyles. With that in mind, you can apply the danshari to add clarity to your mind and closet space.
Clean out your wardrobe
1) You need to take everything out of your closet. Set out your clothes into piles – for example pieces that fit your lifestyle and goals, pieces you don’t fit anymore, pieces you can sell, repurpose or give away. Go through the piles again and apply the konmari method to each of them – does it spark joy? If not, give your appreciation, say goodbye then move on.
2) Once you have separated what you will not keep and will keep, then it is time to put things back into the closet. Organize your space so your items you wear most often is in easy reach, and most of your items are visible. If you can not see it, then it will be easier to forget and left unworn. Keep seasonal items out of the way in suitcases for convenience or compression bags to save space.
3) Use storage organizational items like hooks, hangers and drawer separators to keep things neat, and organize your closet to colors, styles or categories. Make your closet look warm and welcoming like you are walking into your own little boutique made just for you, so instead of feeling dread when you open your closet, you feel inspired.
Spend one day to give your closet a makeover and give yourself a fresh, positive new lease on Spring. Stay tuned for part 2 next week, how to prevent clutter in your closet through the future choices you make.
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