The start of a new year is a perfect time to let go of what no longer serves us, making space for fresh beginnings and positive changes. This might involve decluttering our homes, reevaluating relationships, or shedding unhelpful habits that weigh us down. As we step into 2024, here’s a list of things to consider leaving behind for a more intentional and fulfilling year ahead.
Cluttered Social Media Feeds
Decluttering social media feeds can be another great way to help our mental health. As you go through your feeds, remove any negative or unhelpful users or posts so that they won’t show up again. Why not engage with content that inspires you or helps to educate and uplift you?
Extra Craft Supplies
If crafting is a hobby or you have kids, then an excess of craft supplies could take up your much-needed space. If there are supplies no longer being used, then these could be donated to a school, where they’ll certainly be made use of. Organizing your craft area will make it so much easier to focus on new projects.
Surplus Yarn for Knitters
This is something that happens to most knitters. You’ll be left with scrap bits of yarn that you say will go into another project, but it never does. Instead, these leftover bits of yarn could be donated to knitting charities, which will help to support local communities. Donating your yarn gives someone else a chance to create something special.
Overcommitment
Instead of saying yes to everything, 2024 is about taking time for ourselves and not overcommitting. This means we can prioritize what truly matters, have some personal time, and learn to create boundaries. Time is about quality, not quantity and this is the case for both professional and personal.
Accumulated Emails
One thing we don’t want to take into 2024 is all of our emails. It’s unorganized, and that’s not how we want to start the new year. Why not spend an hour deleting emails that no longer hold any importance? For example, Forbes writes, “There is also around six times as much spam sent each day than genuine email.”
Broken/Tangled Christmas Lights
We say we’re going to do this every year, ready for next Christmas. Then we never do. This year, let’s actually throw out the broken and impossible-to-untangle Christmas lights. It will reduce clutter in storage space and it also means that brand new lights can be bought for next Christmas!
Underused Kitchen Gadgets
Saving Toward a Better Life writes, “There has to be at least one gadget in your kitchen that you don’t use. And why is it the potato masher?” Remove anything in your kitchen you don’t use anymore, whether it’s the masher or a collection of baking trays. It’ll simplify your kitchen drawers and may even lead to more creativity.
Odd Dishes and Containers
This one’s also kitchen-related. We all have Tupperware containers that take up far too much cupboard space or odd dishes that don’t match our sets. It’s time to throw these out and free up some space in your kitchen. More space should create less stress when cooking.
Excessive Knick-Knacks
You may have collected things over the years that could have sentimental value but are still unnecessary. This might be greeting cards you’ve collected or not having the heart to throw away presents you don’t like. Decluttering these items means balancing sentimentality while also realizing it’s time for some things to go.
Worn Out Linens
Most of us have old bed sheets that we never use. You should first assess the quality of the bed sheets to ensure that they can be donated. If your sheets aren’t in great quality Mattress Clarity advises “You can recycle them to avoid adding to a landfill.”
Unworn Jewelry
We can buy things in the heat of the moment that we think we love and will wear all the time, and then we never do. By donating any unworn jewelry or discarding any worn jewelry, such as earrings, we can declutter our box and simplify our choice of accessories.
Bad Friends
Canadian Living says, “The first step to ending an unhealthy friendship is to acknowledge the truth about your toxic friend.” It can be hard to say goodbye to a friend, especially if they’ve been in your life for a long time. But you don’t want to stay friends with someone who’s toxic if it affects your mental health.
Writing Supplies
Clean out any pens that don’t work anymore, including pencils, highlighters and markers. There’s nothing more stressful than needing to write an important note, picking up a pen, and finding out it doesn’t work! If you work from home, it’ll also create a tidier work environment.
Email Subscriptions
Unsubscribe from any email subscriptions that no longer interest you. For example, Get Organized HQ says, “Whenever you buy something, you get automatically subscribed to the email lists.” Sometimes, we’re signed up for something without even knowing! This will significantly reduce any clutter in your inbox.
Overstock of Sticky Notes
We don’t need as many sticky notes as we think we do. If we manage and reduce the amount of sticky notes that we use then it can create a tidier workplace. Instead, you can note everything important on a pad of paper. It can increase productivity by spending less time searching for a sticky note.
Outgrown Toys, Games, and Puzzles
Bob Vila writes, “Kids grow out of their toys and games quickly, and anything that they play with takes a lot of abuse.” If you have kids and a pile of old toys that no longer see the light of day, then why not donate to a charity? You’ll be decluttering, and it could make another child’s day.
Unachievable Expectations
Cut yourself some slack and let go of any unrealistic expectations. Instead, try to have a mindset where you focus on your personal growth and learn from your mistakes. Balance ambition with realistic goal-setting. You can still progress with your career but you aren’t likely to get to the top overnight.
Books Your Family Doesn’t Read
Have a look through your book collection and donate any that you or your family no longer read. This could be children’s books, cookbooks, or ones you took on vacation. Keeping a curated collection can help to encourage reading and give you space to pick up a few new reads.
Overthinking
It’s not good for our mental health and can leave us feeling even more stressed. Instead, we could try to practice mindfulness by spending a few minutes each day meditating. This can help to slow down our minds and keep us on track with our goals and targets this year. No more sleepless nights!
Recycle Unused Tech Products
If we dig deep in our cupboards, then we’re sure to come across old chargers and phones. If you’re unsure where to take them, Redfin advises “If you need help recycling them properly, check with your local tech store, as they often have recycling programs.”
Forgotten Garage Items
There are most likely overlooked items in your garage that take up unnecessary space. Well, now’s the perfect time to have a clear out! Decluttering your garage will not only make it safer to walk around in without the worry of tripping, but a little bit of feng shui is sure to make your home feel more comfortable.
Negative Self-Talk
2024 is all about being kind to ourselves. We can kick out our negative self-talk by identifying any challenging and destructive internal dialogues. Instead, we should be compassionate to ourselves and acknowledge that we’ve been doing a great job. If negative self-talk becomes too much, then make sure to seek professional help.
Procrastination
Procrastination means we try to put off doing tasks that we don’t want to do and instead opt for more enjoyable ones. To help prevent procrastination, MindTools says, “Break large tasks into smaller chunks, and pick one that you can do now – so that you’re underway almost without realizing it.”
Past Regrets
Instead of keeping a hold on past mistakes, it’s time to let them go. We should be learning from our regrets and then putting all of our energy into our future goals. It’s important to practice forgiveness, not only for others but also for ourselves.