What exactly does your closet have to do with anxiety? Having clutter in your home can definitely be a trigger for anxiety, and for most people, the biggest source of clutter is lurking in their closet! Have you frequently looked into your closet and said to yourself, "I have nothing to wear", even when it is full of clothes? Do you accumulate excessive amounts of clothes or shoes, or buy a bunch of clothing you don't really love but purchase anyways just because it is on sale? Do you hold on to clothes you've never worn or only worn once or twice? Do you keep clothes that are too small or too big just in case you lose or gain weight? If you said "yes" to any of these questions, it's time to reduce your anxiety by de-cluttering your closet!
The following 5 tips will help you reduce anxiety and prevent unnecessary spending, save money, save time, get organized and feel happier and more confident!
Top 5 Ways to Reduce Your Anxiety by De-cluttering Your Closet:
1) Take all of your clothes out of the closet. Divide your clothes into 4 piles: a "love it" pile, a "like it" pile, a "maybe I'll wear it someday" pile, and an "I won't ever wear it" pile. Put the "love it" pile back into your closet. Sort through the "like it" pile and decide which pieces would coordinate with those in the "love it" section and selectively add those back in your closet. Donate or sell clothes in the "maybe I'll wear it someday" and "I won't ever wear it" piles. Purging the things you don't need will make you feel lighter. Breathe a sigh of relief that you the shed excess baggage that has been weighing you down!
2) Hang all of the hangers in your closet backwards. Once you wash and wear a hanging item, hang it back in your closet the right way (facing in). In the next 6 months, any clothes that are still hanging backwards are the ones you most likely will never wear. Try not to make excuses or justify why you should keep these unworn clothes (unless they truly hold a strong sentimental value). Donate or sell these clothes and know that they are going to a better place.
3) In the words of Tim Gunn, buy your clothes "very thoughtfully". When buying a new piece for your wardrobe, think hard before you buy. Is this a quality item? Does it fit well? Do you feel good wearing it? Is it comfortable? Will it wash and wear well? Does this new piece go with other clothes or shoes in your closet? Can you find multiple ways to wear this new piece? If you answer "no" to any of these questions, reconsider your purchase. If the answers are "yes", you made a great choice! When you buy clothing items (and shoes) more consciously rather than on a whim, you will avoid closet chaos and end up with clothes that you really love and make you happy.
3) Create a capsule wardrobe. A capsule wardrobe is a minimalist wardrobe that consists of versatile pieces that you truly love. To get started, pick your color palette: 4 neutral colors (i.e. black, white, tan, gray) and 4 accents or pops of colors (i.e. mustard yellow, olive green, magenta, royal blue). Choose classic pieces (i.e. jeans, white t-shirt, black dress, striped shirt) that will last, rather than super trendy ones that will soon go out of style. Be mindful and choose clothes that will provide many possibilites. For example, a white tee shirt can pair with jeans, a black skirt, a yellow cardigan, gray dress pants, tan shorts, etc. Even though you will have a completely downsized wardrobe, you will be able to create endless combinations of outfits and you will actually feel like you have more to wear!
4) Limit your hangers to a maximum of 50. When you get new clothes, don't add more hangers; instead, swap out something on a hanger that you don't wear. If you run out of hangers, you have too much! The ideal capsule wardrobe is actually only 37 hangers - including tops and bottoms! If that seems way too impossible, start with 50. This allows you to visualize what you have to wear, rather than skimming through a jam packed closet of randomness.
5) Organize your closet. Hang all your clothes into sections to make it easier for you pick out your clothes and visualize what is available. For example, create individual sections for your pants, skirts, dresses, sweaters, jackets, long-sleeve shirts, short sleeve shirts and tank tops. Knowing where everything is diminishes the anxiety associated with endlessly searching for items to wear.
Now that your closet has had a nice trim, you should feel light and free! Small things like this can make a huge impact on reducing your anxiety. Once you experience the wonderful feeling of having a neat and organized closet, you can slowly move to other areas of the house and de-clutter there too!