Clean up your act
Clear out your room this month and make the shift to a simpler way of living
N
ational Clean Up Your Room Day takes place on May
10 (yes, it’s a real thing!) so now’s a great time to
tidy up and get your bedroom – and the rest of the
house - shipshape for the summer.
But why stop there? Making space in the home by
clearing away clutter can bring huge benefits and these can be more
far-reaching than simply dusting down the duvet.
Cleaning up your room can bring a big emotional uplift too, says
decluttering expert Courtney Carver, the author of the popular blog,
Be More With Less (bemorewithless.com).
There’s a lot of evidence to support this. Last year, one depression
sufferer used social media to record a small, but significant,
personal victory as they shared images of their bedroom before
and after a big tidy up. One post showed how the user had removed
empty food cartons and bottles from the floor and put away clothes
strewn across the bed. The post, titled ‘Me 1 v Depression 0’, was
viewed 300,000 times in less than 24 hours, illustrating how powerful
a simple clean up can be for morale.om beginnings om beginnings
Carver says that through decluttering, and focusing on the best
things – instead of all the things – we can enjoy more space with
less stuff, and more joy with less obligation. “If you want to find your
purpose and discover what matters in your life, get rid of everything
that doesn’t.”TIDY UP TIPS
n Throw away things you don’t need or wear anymore
(be ruthless)
n Donate or recycle old things and you’ll be helping a
good cause
n If you can’t bear to throw it out, put it in a box and
store in the garage
n Play some music while you do it to make it fun; recruit
help from others
n Treat yourself after: do yoga, drink Proscecco...
whatever floats your boat