Dealing with Your Feelings When Organizing Closet Clutter

Once you've completely emptied your space, organizing closet clutter should be easy. The reality though is that feelings of fear and denial can slow the process or halt it completely. You must not let these feelings stop you from achieving your goal to get your closet organized.

During the decluttering process, irrational feelings might start to arise. You might start to feel that you need all of your belongings and can't throw anything out. In order to cope with this denial and not allow it to become a barrier to moving ahead, ask yourself these questions:

• Is your closet so packed to the brim that it no longer functions effectively?
• Do you sometimes have difficulty finding belongings and how does this make you feel?
• Do you wear everything in your closet? If not, what percentage of it do you wear? (If you are like the average person, the answer is around 20%.)
• Do you feel stressed and anxious about your closet clutter?
• Do you have any room left to store new purchases?
• Would you be embarassed to let friends and family see your closet?

Another potential barrier to clearing closet clutter is fear. You might find that you are afraid to get rid of wardrobe clutter because you might need it in the future.

Consider the last time you wore the item. If you can't remember or if it's been longer than 12 months, the likelihood of you wearing it again is very slim. With the possible exception of clothing for special occassions, people rarely go back to clothes from the last season or before.

If you really can't decide, don't let it stop you from moving ahead with your closet organizing. Put the item in a box and temporarily store it elsewhere. Put the date on the box and if six months pass and you still haven't opened the box, then you really don't need the item.

Now is the time to go through your wardrobe and decide what to keep and what to sell, discard, or donate. We cover this process in the next step.

If you need assistance during this step and those that follow, we can help. Call Andrew in Toronto, Ontario, Canada today at (416) 570-8861 (or e-mail Andrew@Organizing-Toronto.com) for a free, no obligation consultation. We can help you to declutter your closet, determine the best organizing solutions for you, source and install your chosen option, and arrange your closet in the most optimal way.






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