This prompt reminded me of a question a neighbour once asked me. Being into laundry work, he inquired about how I manage to keep clothes intact, prevent them from getting scattered in a congested manner, and avoid mixing them up. For someone in this line of work, assembling, categorising, and possibly labelling is a necessary habit that must be cultivated to reduce clutter and prevent mix-ups. This habit of decluttering is something I have extended beyond my work into my personal life—right from my private room to my emotions and even my digital space. The following are some of the processes I apply in decluttering, whether it be physical items around me, my mental space, or my digital life.
I Categorise, Assemble, Donate, and Dispose:
Drawing from my laundry work, each time I receive clothes from clients, I quickly categorise them by wrapping them in a nylon bag and placing them in the designated corner. If I dump them carelessly, my eyes start itching just from looking at the mess. In my personal space, I do not conduct regular checks on my belongings because the few items I own have designated spaces and always stay in place. However, one thing is certain—whenever I go through a particular spot, especially my wardrobe, I either find something to repurpose as a rag for the house or an item to donate.
Just this morning, a neighbour who works as a bricklayer came to ask if I had any trousers I was no longer using that I could give him. His current pair was torn, and he could not find a replacement since all his other clothes were new and unsuitable for work. Yoh! I had to tell him to check back in the afternoon because I knew I had some worn-out jeans that I had been considering turning into rags. I have already wrapped them up, waiting for him to come and take them in the evening. What a relief!
In situations where I can no longer use an item, I either sell it to trash collectors—such as worn-out shoes—or dispose of it properly. My room is not big enough to be cluttered with items I no longer use, making it look like a family home filled with everyone's belongings. 😂
For Non-Physical Clutter, I Meditate and Let Go
This applies to emotional clutter. As humans, we all experience moments of distress due to the challenges of life, especially those still striving to find balance, particularly in relationships. I will not lie—there are days when my mind is so clouded with thoughts that it becomes difficult to clear them away. In such situations, I meditate, allowing my mind to wander freely and assess whether the thoughts troubling me are even worth my time. In the end, I usually find reasons to discard such burdensome thoughts, which helps me feel lighter.
Young people like us, who have not been fortunate in love, understand how overwhelming the mind can become when thinking about relationships. This method of meditation helps me shift my perspective, allowing me to see things differently. Often, I end up laughing at how ‘stupid’ it was to let such thoughts occupy my mind in the first place. That realization makes it easier to wave them away.
My Digital Life: No Room for Stress
My digital life is something I take very seriously because I am always online. I keep my phone as simple as possible. I do not want to scroll through my phone and feel exhausted, as if I am walking through a dense forest, struggling to find a way through. No! I clear up space, organise apps, and sort files into folders to maintain a clutter-free digital environment.
Regularly, I review my app list and remove the ones I have not used in a while. It does not matter how important an app may seem—if I have not used it for seven to eight months and I have my login details saved, I will uninstall it without hesitation. If I ever need it again in the future, I can simply reinstall it. My phone must not stress me. No way!
Thanks for reading.
This is my entry to #KISS prompt.
Photos used are mine
We have some things in common here. My aunt was a dry cleaner and she taught me how to organise items to keep the house from being messy. She has different laundry baskets; some for dirty customers clothes and the others for the clean ones. In fact, she had to always separate the ones that are starched from those that aren't.
I developed that habits and always make sure I engage in cleaning weekly and monthly. Also, the mental clutter, yes, it's normal we go through those depressing moments, having time to meditate is important, so also the place of gratitude mustn't be ignored.
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Thank you 😊
Oh yeahhh! My laundry person. I remember now. You were once into laundry. That technique is very useful otherwise there's going to be mix-up and keep paying for clothes and losing customers too😅
Yeah, the place of gratitude always 😐
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Yeah... you're welcome, Kingsley
I reckon not enough people realize just how dangerous/unhealthy digital clutter can be (I don't think we realize just how much time we spend online now). It sounds to me like you've built some pretty solid ways to declutter all aspects of your life. Good for you :)
Spending time online is almost equivalent to my offline time, if it's not more than 😅. It's like a home and I must make it as simple as anything. This also helps the phone or pc to function at ease too.
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This image belongs to millycf1976 and was manipulated using Canva.