Q & A: why does cleaning my closet tire me?
Q: “every time i clean my closet, i get immense fatigue, almost depression-like symptoms. it always lasts as long as i have my clothes outside the closet. i’m embarrassed to say that last time i did it, i lived with a huge pile of clothes in the middle of my one-room apartment for 3 weeks. i tried different approaches, like doing one shelf at a time or putting everything out and dividing it into piles, but it doesn’t seem to make a difference. i would be very thankful for any input and thoughts.”
A: closets are tricky for most of us because they house how we present ourselves in the world. and if shopping is a coping mechanism, we buy clothing from a weaker personal space, and what we accumulate might not align with the better version of ourselves. this compounds and complicates our cleaning efforts, so let’s use a little know-how *KAPOW!* to get you through your next closet edit.
if you clear your closet once a year, are you getting rid of everything you don’t LOVE, wear, or use? oftentimes, and especially with clothing, we postpone making decisions about our stuff. we give it another pass and let it linger longer in the drawers, on the shelves, or on the hangers. however, what really hangs there is the emotional frequency of not knowing what to do with it. ambivalence and WHAT IFS are unresolved feelings – and that matrix translates into overwhelm and fatigue. treat your closet to brutal honesty, and it will spare you the unwelcome side-effects.
so.
before you embark on your next purge, try this:
clear everything out so the space is bare.
put a few towels on the floor so you have ample space to place every single piece of clothing.
once it’s empty, wipe down every corner/shelf/baseboard. vacuum or sweep.
and then, before anything goes back, ask yourself:
what’s my personal style?
do i have a favorite palette to wear +/or a personal power color?
how do i spend my time?
use your answers as a filter for what goes back.
look for the clothing that speaks to who YOU are becoming. hang it back first. pay attention to what lights you up; crowns you gloriously when wearing it; and feels so good, you could live in it for days. xo
? @sezane
