After going through a major transition, it’s a great idea to take a good look at your space and reclaim it. Your closet is a really fun place to start.
Many Feng Shui experts say that our closets can hold stagnant energy so getting this energy cleared is an important ritual. Some people believe that your closet is apparently a reflection of what’s going on in your life. So, what does your closet look like?
Just like the important lesson conveyed in Clueless all those years ago, a closet cleanse may help bring balance, peace and tranquility to not only the way you present yourself, but your actual energy too. It helps clear the ‘clutter’ of what’s no longer working for you, which is why a breakup can be an ideal catalyst to do a closet cleanse. We think Mari Kondo would agree.
Here are 5 steps to carrying out your own closet cleanse:
1. Take Everything Out
Take everything out and decide what stays and what goes. If you’re keeping any of your ex’s clothes for memories, even though it might feel like the hardest thing right now, letting go of these is a symbol that you’re ready to let go emotionally. So that t-shirt you like to sleep in? Try and make peace with saying goodbye to it. It’s no longer serving you and it’s time to allow in the ‘new’.
When it comes to your other clothes, be honest about whether you’re hoarding any ‘just in case’. If you haven’t worn it in the past year, the chances are you probably never will, so bite the bullet and donate the things you really won’t wear to charity or even organize a clothes swap. A nice way to feel even happier with letting go of old items is knowing they’ll be going to a good home, like Dress For Success or Goodwill.
2. Keep What You Love (And What You Need)
Only keep items you really feel good in. A good test of whether to keep or throw/donate your clothes is to try them on and see how they make you feel. If something doesn’t make you want to walk out of the house right now and rock it, then it might be worth reconsidering. (Plus, think of all the space you’ll be creating for some new pieces!) Of course, some things like uniforms or work clothes may be the exception – so keep what you absolutely need.
3. Cleanse The Energy
Safely light some sage and smudge your empty closet to remove any negative energy. Smudging is where you move the smoldering sage stick in a clockwise direction around the space. Once you have neatly re-organized all the clothes you want to keep you can also smudge them with sage too.
4. Crystalize It
If you’re into crystals, an optimum one to place in your closet is selenite because it removes energy blocks and helps keeps the energy clear and balanced.
5. Get Organized
As the cherry on top, it’s useful to think about how you want to organize your clothes from a seasonal perspective. So if it’s spring/summer, perhaps invest in some storage containers to pack away your bulkier clothing and then you can swap them over accordingly.
This closet cleanse is all about creating as much ‘space’ as possible and practically, it makes getting dressed every day a much more pleasant experience if you love what you have and it’s all accessible. Just try and avoid the trap of stuffing everything under your bed.
We’d love to hear how your closets look right now – are they cramped? do they need to be cleansed? Share your tips in the comment below if you have ideas we haven’t shared here!
