With the start of the new quarter, I like to ensure that I feel on top of things and have a blank slate so that I’m ready to take on all my upcoming tasks. I’m a firm believer that one’s space is a reflection of their mindset (cluttered room = a cluttered mind). Spring is here, and there is no better time than now to clean out all the nooks and crannies of our dorms or apartments. While it’s more obvious that certain areas need tidying, others often go overlooked and things pile up over time. For this year’s spring cleaning, let’s give some attention to those forgotten corners of our rooms. Here are five less-thought-of things to declutter ASAP.
- Cosmetic Samples
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If you are anything like me, there’s a drawer in your bathroom dedicated to accumulated sample and travel-sized cosmetics. Sephora VIB points perks, half used travel-sized shampoo and random perfume samples pile up to the point that you forget what you even have. When this happens, things that you may actually want to use get buried amongst all the other clutter. Now is a good time to sort through all the random miniature sized cosmetics and think “what will I ACTUALLY use?” If you haven’t thought about it in months, it’s probably best to toss it.
- Sock Drawer
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When I think about decluttering, my mind usually goes toward my closet. While cleaning out clothes is super important, it can be a daunting task. So, why not start smaller with the sock drawer? Socks without a match, socks with holes or just socks that you’ve had forever, it’s time for them to go. Much like I stated with cosmetics, it’s so much more stressful to sort through things you don’t wear to find what you do wear.
- Sauce Packets
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I’ve been known to grab an extra handful of soy sauce packets “just in case.” If hot sauce is an option, just assume I’ve grabbed a couple to put in my purse. The thing is, I almost never come back to this stash of assorted sauce packets. Recently, I’ve tried to break free from my gathering tendencies and cleaned out the pile of random sauces in my dorm. I am honestly not sure if anyone else does this, but if you do, now could be a good time to clean these out. Again, ask yourself, will “I really use these?”
- Books
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While I have tried to transition entirely to digital books, I always end up with some paper copies lying around. I recently went through all my books and got rid of all those that I had read already and didn’t intend on ever reading again. You can either try to sell your old books or donate them. Don’t forget those old textbooks and required readings cluttering your shelf as well! You can potentially try selling these back to the UCLA bookstore.
- Phone
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This one isn’t a physical thing to clean out, but it’s still so important. For me, a lot of junk tends to accumulate on my phone to the point where I eventually have no storage. Over Spring Break, I did a big sweeping phone clean out: deleting unused apps, cleaning out my camera roll and unsubscribing from email lists were all on the agenda. Sometimes our phones get filled up with so much unnecessary stuff that the things we need get buried. Sit down for a good hour or so and clean out all the digital clutter.
I understand that tackling spring cleaning can feel intimidating, especially when it feels like there is so much to accomplish. In my experience, breaking the undertaking into smaller, specific tasks can be so useful to get the ball rolling. If you want to declutter not only your physical space but your mind as well, these ideas are good places to start.