During the holiday season, you have gifted so many amazing things. At first, it is wonderful, but over time it can become a nightmare when you have no room and a ton of stuff. We have all been there. Jam-packed closets, full cupboards, and a lot of stuff with no home. It can be hard to choose what stays and what goes, but I have found some tried and true ways that help me release items and simplify my life.

Does this item bring you joy?

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So often we keep things around because someone gave it to us, or we think that we will use it in the next two decades. I think an easy way to debunk this is by picking up every item and asking yourself, "does this bring me joy?" If the answer is yes, then keep it around. If the answer is no, then release it and allow it to bring someone else joy. Don't keep things around that you never use and that you don't even like. They are in no way making your life better, but those things could make someone else's life improve immensely.

Thank you and goodbye.

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Many items that you used to love, but that you haven't worn in months and maybe years, are really hard to get rid of because they have sentimental value. But it comes back to the question, "right now does this item give me joy?" If the answer is no, then say, "thank you, and goodbye." Put it in a bag and give it away. Just because something does not bring you joy right now doesn't mean that it has no value or that it didn't bring you joy at some point in your life. So you say, "Thank you for the memories and for bringing me joy, but now I'm going to let you do that for somebody else." It is much more freeing than it is sad. I promise.

Maybe bag.

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After all of this if you still have items that are just super-duper hard to give up, and you don't know if you are going to want them or not, put them in a maybe bag. The maybe bag is where you put all of the items that you are not sure if you are going to want or not. You put this bag in a closet, or somewhere out of sight for a month. If you don't think about any of the items in that bag and don't reach for that item during the month, give it away. This is an easy way to give yourself a new perspective on whether those things are important or not, and whether or not you actually want them.

At the end of the day, it isn't about getting rid of everything you own and only having five items around you. Decluttering your space and your mind starts small. Get rid of one thing, maybe an old jacket. With that old jacket, toss out your anxiety about not being enough. With every item that you get rid of also clear out your mental junk too. If every day for a month you get rid of one thing, at the end of that month you will be free from 30 items and 30 lies about yourself. It is a process, but you are worth working towards a clearer mind and space.