It is a new year, and you know what that means: time to purge and start again.
No! Not that purge. Don’t make me turn this year around and go home!
Okay but for real, let’s get this year started off right by getting rid of all that floating minutia in our homes, hearts, and minds that leave us feeling all kind of negative fuzzies.
Home Purge:
I know for me, the thought of going through all of my items and measuring the joy they give me seems beyond daunting. In fact it may be the hill at which I die on. My favorite saying is “I will most likely die being crushed by the books I meant to read,” this may also be my actual reality. I happen to find an almost obsessive level of sentimental attachments to all of my things, especially my stuffed animals. Each giant plush face is a representative of a trip or con that has managed to rock my face completely.
That being said, I am burdened by the societal pressures of adulthood to be marginally clean, so I will share my insights with you:
Time Yourself! Much like your life, your home will not completely change in the span of one daytime of devotion. What it will leave you with, however, is two days of exhaustion. Don’t exceed one hour, two hours max!
Break it down! You don’t have to go after every room in one day. Are you the Flash? That is completely rhetorical, do not roll your eyes and say yes, you are NOT the Flash.
Closet:
Outgrown and damaged clothing go. No questions. You aren’t going to fix it, chuck it!
Outdated shoes. Listen I know we are all hoping our velcro platform sneakers will come back in style in a real way, but they won’t. And, if they do, you can get better ones.
Empty shoeboxes. We all keep them, “I will use them for storage,” “I’m gonna make them into dioramas,” “They would be great for crafts.” No you won’t, no they won’t, let them go!
Incomplete games. I’m not even going to comment. Chuck them!
Old blankets. They smell, they are old, you could get something with faux fur!
Outgrown or broken toys. Obviously I have to be lenient here due to my personal inclination towards toys, but if they are broke, set them free!
Furniture that just isn’t you anymore. Whether you have physically or spiritually outgrown it, do not hold onto it, it is literally taking up space.
Old or broken electronics. You can get cash for most old smartphones, mps players, and tablets. CASH. What is there to say other than that?
Bathroom:
Old bath pouf/ loofah. These should really be changed out every three weeks. Make this your starting point if you haven’t already.
Empty and half empty bath bottles. Whether it is shampoo, conditioner, or that last little bit of body wash, we try to hold on. Stop it! Let things go. This is the year for it. Maybe even try out some new products. Check tiktok for recommendations.
Old brushes and combs. Anything that is missing teeth or bristles, or anything that has become more hair than brush, throw it out. Your hair deserves better than broken and overused tools.
Go ahead and take this time to get rid of ripped towels, and old bath mats. It’s the ultimate excuse to splurge on that shag pile memory foam one you’ve secretly had your eye on.
And of course, the always forgotten, but often hoarded: makeup
The Stuff You Don’t Think About:
Digitize and shred old documents. Not only is this safer, but it keeps the clutter to a minimum. And paper clutter can become a big mess very quickly.
Trash any old, broken, or dried out pens, and save yourself from that minor rage attack when you are desperate to find something to write with, only to pick up the one dried out pen in the cup.
Go ahead and toss out old cords and adapters, you don’t need them, and they just create a tangled ball of nonsense. Unless you have a hobby of solving tangled wires, then go for it. Find your joy.
This is also a good chance to throw out the old notebooks, if for no other reason than to get rid of the evidence of whomever you were crushing on hard that year. (KH + LM 4-EVA)
Now that we have purged our homes of the unnecessary, it is time to move on to body and soul! One of the easiest ways to begin this is by adapting newer, healthier habits. Here are some healthy habits you can do with even the smallest amount of free time.
So as we go forward into this strange new year, more in the dark than ever before, I offer these final tips:
Give up the soda and switch to water. You’ll sleep better, your skin and hair will look amazing, and you won’t feel so strung out.
Put all the screens away for the first and last thirty minutes of your day. In the morning this helps your brain to wake up naturally as opposed to being jarred directly into the stressors of society. Giving up screens for the last thirty minutes of the day helps promote the natural circadian that allows us to go to sleep.
Every night try to think of one positive, funny, or beautiful thing you came across in your day. That final boost of dopamine can help carry a good mood through to the next morning.
If you feel you need help, do not be afraid or ashamed. Get help!
And finally, don’t be too hard on yourself or your loved ones. The future we find ourselves in is filled with unanswered questions out of our control, so let us not dwell too deeply on that. Instead keep loving, keep trying, and keep moving.
Love you all, SO MUCH! Let's go kick 2021 into high gear!
Kristie Hill, Library Specialist
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