Alas, here we are, on the last official day of summer in 2024. I must say that this has been one of the warmer Septembers thus far in the GTA. The temperatures have continued to soar into the high 20’s and 30’s giving us a delightful extended stretch of summer.
Of course, one could argue that it should be expected for it to stay warm in September since technically it is still summer three weeks into the month, but historically, you really start to feel that dip in temperature as soon as August ends.
Needless to say, it has certainly made the transition into that pre-fall era a bit easier. Though my sinuses would beg to differ! If there is one surefire sign of fall making it’s entrance, it’s the very predictable onset of allergy season (as I eluded to in my previous blog post.) Mine came on time and with a vengeance right around Labour Day. I have probably blown through half a box of Reactine at this point! I suspect October will be when we get more of that ‘sweater in the morning, t-shirt in the afternoon’ type of weather.
Anyways, one thing I have grown to appreciate quite a bit as we look towards the fall is the power of decluttering. I know oftentimes people take on decluttering around spring, but I think fall is also a good time to do it because it’s another period of transition.
I never knew how refreshing it can truly feel when you’re looking at several empty boxes where ‘stuff’ was just sitting there, for no good reason, stored away, collecting dust, taking up unnecessary space – and seeing that same stuff either thrown out, in the recycling, or in a pile to give away.
I think everyone has at least one ‘junk box’ or ‘junk drawer’ where miscellaneous stuff just gets put in: whether it’s random phone chargers, cables, batteries, what have you. And before you know it, over time, that ‘junk’ box has grown into a heaping pile of chaotic mess and you are well on your path to being an unintentional hoarder.
Remember that Allen key that you were looking for that you could never find, or that scrunchie that you had thrown into a drawer somewhere a while back and it mysteriously went into some black hole? Well, voila! When you take the time to focus and declutter, you’ll be amazed and what you’ll rediscover that you thought was forever lost.
Also, because decluttering can open up your mind to more creative ways of thinking, you can likely find a better, more efficient use for all the boxes you’ve just emptied (and save on having to buy more storage). And if not, into the recycling they go! Either way, it so nice to feel ‘lighter’ in that sense.
Plus, it’s amazing how much more you can fit into a drawer when you fold clothing a certain way!
The power of having the mindset to reorganize is real.
My goal is to do my best to maintain a decluttered lifestyle so that the need to declutter at all becomes a less needed activity. Of course, easier said than done, but with the right mindset, anything is possible.
Do you have any of your own decluttering tips? Please share your decluttering stories in the comments!
Sarah Warsi 