The title of this post makes me think of those annoying “one weird old tip to lose belly fat” ads that pop up in your sidebar. Sorry.

Here’s something totally mundane that makes my love for my closet go next level:

Putting my clothes away.

(Yes Mom, do a victory dance.  I finally embraced what you’ve been telling me to do for yeeeaaars.)

The benefits are so numerous I’ll just use bullet points.

• I can find the clothes I want to wear.  One of the joys of an edited closet is being excited to get dressed in the morning because you love your clothes and it’s easy to put together outfits. I usually give my closet a sassy wink as I walk by it on the way to the bathroom and then spend a few zen moments on the toilet or in the tub sussing out what I feel like wearing that day. Know what kills that morning zen? Realizing that you have no idea where that top/dress/pair of shoes/pants is that you want to wear and then scrambling through the house like a mad person trying to find it.
• Or maybe, after a few moments of hunting, you know where that key piece is but it’s covered in cat hair/a wrinkled mess from sitting in a pile on the floor for days.  Putting my clothes away eliminates added maintenance necessary to get my clothes in working condition.  ‘Cause I hate/am bad at ironing and don’t have time to wait for something to go through the laundry to wear that day.
• Which saves energy.  Dryers are huge energy sucks, y’all.  Don’t use them more than you have to.
• Another reason to avoid clothing piles and re-dryering your clothes: your clothes will last longer.  Less wear and tear = more years of wearing your favorite t-shirt.
• Picking up my clothes and doing the sniff/stain test, then depositing them in the laundry hamper or the closet/drawer means I’m more likely to know what’s available.  If I consciously tossed my three sleeveless tops in the hamper last night while cleaning up, I know I a) don’t have any left to wear this morning (see bullet point 1) and b) need to do laundry if I want to wear them any time soon.
• It also makes the house feel calmer and less cluttered.  Maybe I have a touch of organizational sensitivity but when things are in their proper place I just breathe easier.  Ya feel me?
• And in that same vein, a properly hangered closet or folded drawer is visually pleasing. (See above re: sassy wink.)
• Not to mention it helps keep the bigger wardrobe picture in mind.  When all your clothes (minus laundry pieces) are visible in one place, you can tell what you’re low on or have too much of and you’re reminded in one glance what your color palette is (and that the chartreuse top you’ve been eyeing will clash with everything else you own).  Especially important for focused closets, you aren’t fooled into thinking “I need more skirts!” because you can see how many you have at all times (or know they’re in the laundry).
• Restoring your duds to their rightful abode is a great little meditative practice to do every day.  It’s a smidgeon of quiet time for your mind and your spirit (if you can keep your kids/dog/spouse away – or do it with them!) which, if you make it part of your morning or bedtime routine, will help focus you for the day or calm you for sleep.
• Last but not least, picking up your clothes and putting them away fosters gratitude.  Every time I handle the clothes I love I think “this is such a great shirt/jacket/dress, I love wearing it and seeing it in my wardrobe.”  Plus gratefulness to have clothes in the first place.

 

Do you love picking up your clothes as much as I do, or do you think I sound like a ridiculous Mari Kondo Konvert for turning picking up my clothes into some sort of spiritual exercise?

And what’s your one weird old tip for loving your closet more?   Scroll down to comment!