organization

10 Post-Lockdown Items To Declutter Today

mindbeautysimplicity

I’ve survived lockdown & still powering through what is left of this pandemic. But as a result, my home has become a dumping ground of miscellaneous assortments of “survival tactics” & activities that helped battle the boredom of stay at home orders & quarantines. Now, I am ready for a clean slate & ready to be rid of most reminders of this traumatic experience. Here are 10 Post-Lockdown Items To Declutter Today:

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  1. Puzzles: These items became all the rage in the beginning of the pandemic. My bf & I rushed to Target to purchase an array of puzzles some being as large as 1,500 pieces. It’s funny what cabin fever will do to a person. But now, I am sick of puzzles & plan to not do anymore until I’m like 60.

2. Masks: *PSA – don’t get rid of all your masks just yet* I’m talking about ones with ugly patterns or ones that are damaged. I don’t know about you, but I have managed to create a collection of 30 different cloth masks all ranging from holiday themed, solid colors & even ones that match certain outfits. For one person, this is way too much. Clean them up & donate them. I personally have been loving the cloth ones by Kitsch. They are super comfortable, washable & come in such cute patterns as well.

3. Hobby Supplies: I’m sure a lot of us picked up a few new hobbies during quarantine whether it was painting, drawing, cross stitch or gardening. And some of you may keep it up but if you aren’t & over the phase, this is the time to donate those types of items. Don’t let your fantasy self get in the way of your future self.

4. Streaming Services: We watched a lot of tv during quarantine & with that caused us to purchase quite a few streaming services. This is a great time to decide if you really need all of them & if there are some you can let go of. I know I’m going to be spending more time outdoors this summer anyway.

5. Extra Cleaning Products / Hand Sanitizer: I think a lot of us bought cleaning supplies in bulk this past year. I love to keep my home clean, but I felt like I owned way too much. So, I decided to donate some of the extra supplies to shelters & the goodwill. You’ll feel good giving back to the community.

6. Books: I did a lot of reading during quarantine. More than I would usually do if I’m being completely honest. And I’m someone who hates to keep a book once I’ve read it. I’m not a re-reader. So, I collected a stack & sent them over to my local library & donated others. I’m actually thinking of getting a kindle since it would take up less space. Should I bite the bullet & buy one?

7. Joggers / Other Clothing: I went on an online shopping spree multiple of times during stay at home order. Specifically, I went after the Stars Above Joggers from Target. And can you believe I own like 10 pair now? That’s not very minimalistic of me, is it? This is a great time to go through your closet & donate any clothing you plan to never wear again. Make room for those cute outfits for when we can travel & have proper social gatherings instead.

8. Bulk Food Supplies: My grocery list became 10x larger during stay at home order. And with that, our pantry is still filled to the brim. Now, a lot of it we do plan to still eat but unfortunately some items went bad or just won’t be eaten in a reasonable time. To save space in your kitchen & to spread kindness, why not donate some supplies to homeless shelters or to friends & family. I think a lot of us can attest to over purchasing this past year. We were in survival mode though, so don’t get down on yourself. Just know it may be time to clean out those shelves & fridge.

9. Unrealistic Expectations: Not only should we declutter physical belongings, but also certain mindsets we had for ourselves. Don’t feel in a rush to get back to a more normal life. Yes, we are itching for that normalcy & to reach certain goals we had for ourselves before this all happened. But don’t get down on yourself if you just aren’t quite there yet. We’ve been through a lot. We’ve been in survival mode as I said. We need to be kind to ourselves more than ever.

10. Past Self: Along with shifting our mindsets, we also need to let go of the parts of ourselves from the pandemic that won’t serve us for this bright future. We are constantly changing & growing as individuals. There is no need to accept anything that you feel needs to be thrown to the curb. For instance, I want to leave behind the notion of always putting others before myself. This isn’t necessarily pandemic related, but I went through a lot of reflection during this time & I realized I can be a people pleaser. And there are some moments where I’ve needed to put my own self care above anything else. I want to go into the future with this new mantra.

What’s something you wish to declutter & change as you go into this post-lockdown era?

-B

Published by mindbeautysimplicity

66 thoughts on “10 Post-Lockdown Items To Declutter Today”

  1. I’m still working through all of the emotions that came from the way I was dumped from where I worked for so long. If it had been done differently, I’m sure I would feel differently but as it is, I’m getting there.

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  3. Love that you slipped in unrealistic expectations and past self in this list! I think physically, we’ve probably all got a lot of crap we can get rid of that’s accumulated over the last year. It’d be a great time to donate and sell stuff! But yes, we need to let go of the non-physical things from the past year as well!

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  4. We’re still in a lockdown here, but this is great advice for moving forward. I love that you included letting go of the mindsets that no longer serve us. I agree that we need to take our time and be kind to ourselves. I know when the lockdowns are finally over, no matter how much we want to return too normal, it will be challenging to get back out there. Thanks for sharing these great tips!

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  6. I also love to donate books to a Little Free Library nearby! (And also pick up a new one… 😉) Do you have those around you? I have a kindle and it was convenient for a time, but I really do prefer physical books. Plus the battery died so fast, I have to keep it on the charger now to use it.

    I have recently started cleaning out mugs and collecting some other things for a yard sale my neighborhood is having in July!

    -Sam at Joy on the Journey

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    1. yes we do! i love those little free libraries. i see them around different neighborhoods in my area. it’s such a cute idea. i’m with you, i think i prefer physical books as well. oh my yes, the battery dying would be quite annoying. yard sales are a great way to let go of unwanted things & make a bit of money. enoy!

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  7. I have to admit I still have a lot of decluttering to do in the next few days, so this was really helpful! I love the way you incorporated non-physical things at the very end, too – I couldn’t agree more!

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  10. Love this post. I laughed out loud at ‘Puzzles’, it’s so true! Why were we all suddenly obsessed with them? Hehe. I’ve got a few items that can go, I bought a yoga mat mid-lockdown to keep myself busy but I don’t use it now x

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  11. Can I leave behind my pandemic eating habits? hehe. This is a good list. I hadn’t thought of all the things I accumulated during lockdown. Masks and books are on my list for sure. Though I may keep a few masks around for flu season because of my job. 🙂

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  16. Great ideas! I definitely need to work on numbers 9 and 10, though. I also need to work on not overbooking myself. It is okay for my calendar to not be full. Rest can be a good thing too.

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  19. Love these suggestions, I’ve got so much clothing that has accumulated over the past year or so so now would be a perfect time for me to donate some as well as declutter.

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  20. You are right that we have a lot of puzzles to give away now and extra bottles of hand sanitizer. It will be hard to venture out of my nest and embrace the world again. As you said, I will need to go gently and take baby steps. I’m feeling a little agoraphobic now.

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  25. I have been decluttering my clothing as a lot I do not wear etc. So I have got a bag for the women’s shelter and other things to take to the tip. I feel so much better when things are cleared and organised. Thank you for sharing your suggestions.

    Lauren Bournemouthgirl.com

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  26. This is such a helpful post! I haven’t really accumulated a lot of different items since the pandemic started, but I will definitely be giving some of your suggestions some thought (do I really need a lot of streaming channels). Thanks for sharing!

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  27. This is so true! Thankfully the hobbies I was doing during the pandemic are hobbies I did normally, but I am working on my current stash of yarn before buying anymore to declutter. I also highly recommend getting a kindle. Not only are they cheaper than regular books, they make it soooo easy to travel. I bring mine to work, no problem.

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  28. I’m planning a whole occasion around packing up unwanted clothes, shoes, accessories, etc. My wardrobe is about to get a lot lighter and I can’t wait! But great point about coming out on the other side of this without parts of you that don’t serve you well.

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  30. This is a wonderful post! I love how relevant it is since it mentions decluttering masks, streaming services, and new hobby supplies. While all of these items helped us cope during this time, we will not need them as much once lockdown is over (like you said though, everyone should keep some masks). I am such a hoarder when it comes to books, even though I am not much of a rereader. I like the idea of donating some of them. I will have to look into that when places are accepting donations again. I highly recommend getting a Kindle; it took me some time to get into it, but I love it now! It makes reading easier. Great work!

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