The Nation's Health

Clearing the Clutter: Don't Stress, Don't Panic!

Small kitten

When I got home from college in early May I was faced with a startling reality: my room, which held all of my up-until-I-went-to-college belongings, now had to hold all of my I-went-to-college-and-picked-up-a-whole-lot-more stuff! Luckily, I tackled the massive task of cleaning my room early on, but for all of you college kids home for the summer who think it's hopeless to start now - it's not too late! Here are some tips to get you going!

Tackle one thing at a time. Start out small - maybe clean out a desk drawer. The small accomplishments add up. You’ll notice a difference right away! Have trash bags/recycling bags handy. You can toss unwanted items right away instead of watching them pile up.

Donate. I went through my closets and drawers and found shirts, pants, pajamas, belts, scarves, and other articles of clothing that I outgrew or knew I wouldn’t wear again. With my mom’s help we had a full bag to donate to the Vietnam Veterans. Get support. Mark, my boyfriend, is facing similar post-semester clutter. Sometimes it’s nice to just have someone to talk to. My parents were also super helpful. Mom helped me sort through belongings and vacuum my floor. Dad took bins up into the attic.

Don’t stress. Make a playlist of tunes to groove to. Brew a cup of tea. Allow yourself a ten minute Facebook break. Applaud your progress. Get some air. Especially when you’re using cleaning products or dusting, it’s nice to get some fresh air in through the open windows. Save “fun” tasks for last. Working through the boring stuff became totally worth it when I got to reorganize my bookshelf. There’s nothing I like more than a pretty shelf of books!

Reward yourself when you’re done. I got to kick back with some orange chocolate and the next episode of Big Love (I'm on Season 2 now, so no spoilers, please!), and I couldn't be happier in my beautiful, organized bedroom! Thanks for checking out my blog! I have a lot of great things planned in the next few weeks! Please follow me via Google Friend Connect or "like" my page on Facebook (see the link in the left-hand column)! Once again, I'd love to hear what you think and would love to work with some fellow bloggers! :)

There is nothing better than a lazy Sunday. Even though I may not have plans set in advance, I never know when a friend or my boyfriend might call and ask about going out to lunch or catching a movie. That being said, I always try to dress in an acceptable manner, but keep my clothes comfortable and casual enough in case I only end up staying in and watching television.

I actually picked up this vest during one of Wet Seal's one-cent sales: you buy one sale-rack item and get a sale item of equal-or-lesser value for a penny!