I always thoroughly enjoy doing a wardrobe detox for so many reasons, but the main one is how it helps your mental health. There is no better feeling than being able to look in your closet and see all of your items displayed and hung in order, which makes your mind think clearly about what you are going to wear for the day and also, more importantly, what you have. Today I am going to share my top tips so you can detox your wardrobe too!
I always describe some wardrobes I have worked on, as when I open the doors it is like someone has thrown up the clothes – carnage everywhere with everything all over the place. This can be quite difficult for you mentally, hampering your ability to think clearly and leaving you with that feeling of ‘I’ve got nothing to wear!’
It is a simple process where I work with my Clients to understand what they want to achieve from this, as well as if they are going to find it difficult to let go of items. I am currently working with a lady whose husband passed away a few years ago and she is finding it hard to let go of his items. I came up with the idea of utilising them into a blanket or a teddy, which she loved.
This means she is not having to say goodbye to those items, which is obviously difficult for her, but they will become something more that is a happy reminder of her husband, instead of being faced each day with his clothes hanging in the wardrobe.
When I have reorganised, rearranged and placed everything in a wardrobe (including using my favourite label machine), there is no better satisfaction than seeing my Client’s face with the end result. I usually do a follow up a week later to see how they are finding it and the feedback has been amazing. To hear how having an organised wardrobe has made them feel lighter, boosted their mood as well as having that all important and needed clear out is just great and in turn helps my mental health to see what a change I have helped them achieve
My Top Tips for Decluttering and Reorganising.
- Totally clear and clean the area you are going to detox.
From Erika (Team Wonderment) This is the best way to start, not only does it give you the space to be able to achieve your task, but helps your mind to be clear of distractions making the job much easier! Remember you can download our Task Management planner sheet to help you break your reorganisation down so it’s more manageable. - Buy storage items prior to this so you are ready to reorganise. also invest in a label machine! This helps you mentally prepare for how much better your wardrobe/dressing area is going to be.
- Be ruthless when you are creating piles of Keep, donate/recycle and sell. The more you clear, the more you have.
From Erika (Team Wonderment) This is also great for giving you a boost! Seeing the different piles shows you real time progress, which helps keep you invested in the process. Plus being able to sell or donate is a great way to lift your mood by making a little money and helping others!
- When hanging clothes, look on my social media for tips on how to fold and hang items. There are lots of ways to save space and make things more aesthetically pleasing. Always collate colours from dark, bold, pastels to whites.
- Make sure you take your donate/recycle items straight away to stop you dipping into them. List items on selling apps as you go along. This stops a huge pile just sitting there that can become mentally overwhelming.
- It is also a very cleansing process doing this type of detox as you will 100% have items you relate to a bad occasion or time of life and possibly one’s that you’ve hung onto if you’ve gained or lost a dress size. Your mind tells you “I’ll get back into that one day”. Even though some may see that as a goal, you’re actually putting pressure on yourself, as well as mentally making you feel negative about your current appearance.
When your home is clean, decluttered and organised, it does have such a positive affect on your mental health. This is why I started the Essex House Dolly…. A tidy house equals a tidy mind.
Nicola Rodriguez
Nicola Rodriguez aka The Essex House Dolly is a Cleaning influencer, decluttering and reorganising expert, Dolly can help you to professionally design your interior for your perfect your home.
