Scott Webb (Host): There's probably never a bad time to attempt to declutter our homes and lives, but many of us tend to try to declutter in the fall and winter months, and a number of things might slow us down, like just having difficulty discarding something that has sentimental value to us. Joining me today to share some helpful tips and suggestions for how to tackle these decluttering projects is Ashley Krul. She's the Program Coordinator of Employee Wellness at Summa Health. This is Healthy Vitals, a podcast from Summa Health. I'm Scott Webb.

Ashley, it's so nice to have you on. I was just mentioning that I've been doing some decluttering, if you will, trying to get ready for winter, make room for my Christmas decorations, all of that. And I'm sure lots of folks are nodding their heads saying, yeah, I either need to do that or I've been doing that.

So let's talk about that today. Let's talk about whether or not we should declutter before winter and maybe what sort of physical and mental, especially benefits we get from that. So, why do people often feel the need to declutter in the fall and winter months? And does it relate to mental health?

Ashley Krul, MSEd, CWP, CHC: Yeah, so first off, I want to kind of touch on the importance our environment plays a role in. There are various dimensions to wellness, and the most common is physical wellness, which is movement of the body, and nutritional wellness, which is eating appropriately. But one dimension of wellness that is not always considered is environmental wellness, which is wellness that supports your space of living and being. And in this case, it may not always be your home, but may also be where you work, attend school, or spend additional time at. And having a clean and organized space is not only nice to have, but it's important to have for your overall wellness.

 And you know, with the colder weather approaching, people are more likely to spend the majority of their time inside versus being outside as they may have been all summer long and, you know, much of spring as well. Since the majority of the time is being spent inside, it's nice to have a clean and clutter free living space to reside our time in. Having a clean and clutter free space puts ease on the mind and it allows the body to fully relax instead of having to worry about a disorganized space.

Host: Yeah, it totally does. I get that physical and really the mental benefits of that. And just wondering, like, why we feel the need to do this during the colder seasons. Is that just a thing or is it something else?

Ashley Krul, MSEd, CWP, CHC: You know, decluttering during the colder season has many benefits and as I've mentioned previously, you're spending the majority of the time in your house with the colder weather and having the house decluttered and organized can truly allow you to enjoy your time indoors, especially during the holiday season, if you choose to host. A clean and organized home can boost your home, create a sense of calmness, which can in turn promote better sleep as well. By decluttering, you can reduce overall anxiety that you may have from having a messy environment. Decluttering would also free your mind from any guilt or frustration that you may have from allowing it to get to that point.

Host: Are there some unique challenges? You know, we think about decluttering in the fall and the winter. I mentioned, you know, my Christmas decorations and things like that. So, whether it's seasonal clothing, swapping out clothes, the warmer weather clothes, cold weather clothes. Are there specific challenges as we try to navigate through this when we try to declutter in the fall and the winter?

Ashley Krul, MSEd, CWP, CHC: Yeah. So decluttering in the fall and winter can be challenging because of the quick change in temperatures and seasons, as well as the many holidays that quickly approach. But there are a few tips that can help navigate these challenges. First off, you could start by going through your warmer weather apparel, like you mentioned before, like your coats, hats, gloves, boots, et cetera, and make sure that they are in good condition and that they still fit. If you no longer like the style or they don't fit, consider donating or discarding the items. Secondly, you could work on decluttering your seasonal decorations, as you mentioned as well, as you begin to change decor along with the changing seasons, make sure to go through all your holiday decorations and supplies for parties, and only keep the items that you like, and get rid of items that you no longer want, or discard items that may have even been broken in storage. Not only will this reduce clutter, but it will also help to make the decorating process easier in the future for the holidays, because that tends to be chaotic for many people. I know for me, it does. There's so much to go through.

And then finally I recommend investing in organizational tools such as bins, totes, shelving, and labels to keep everything organized once you have gone through everything. Not only does it keep things put together, but can also be aesthetically pleasing and create less anxiety when going through holiday items in the future.

Host: You know, one of the things I do, you mentioned getting bins; so I have all these bins for all my Christmas stuff. And one of the things I do is I, as I take the lids off and I begin to decorate the house for the holidays, I take a picture of those bins because I can never remember later, wait, did that go in this bin or does go in that bin?

Ashley Krul, MSEd, CWP, CHC: I do too. I do too. That's exactly what I do. That's so funny.

Host: I was hoping it wasn't just me because I'm I never remember and, it's, it's like such a jigsaw

Ashley Krul, MSEd, CWP, CHC: It's a puzzle.

Host: They just barely fit,

Ashley Krul, MSEd, CWP, CHC: Yes, yes, and I actually have one of those bins that actually fit each like Christmas bulb just perfectly, perfectly, so, and I love those. Those are great. I just wish they had more, I guess, bins that did things like that for other items.

Host: Absolutely. Yeah. So let's talk about, uh, stress and anxiety, you know, in these darker months, if you will, it can be more pronounced. So is there a connection between decluttering and kind of reducing the stress and anxiety?

Ashley Krul, MSEd, CWP, CHC: Yeah, so decluttering can reduce anxiety by eliminating the source of stress that may be existing from having too many items. Decluttering can also decrease cortisol or stress hormones in the body which can help you to feel less anxious and overwhelmed overall. But by decluttering, you can create a more organized and clean environment that allows your mind to find some peace and help you to think more clearly and feel a little bit calmer.

Host: You know, one of the reasons I tend to declutter is because I want to create more room for more stuff. So if,

Ashley Krul, MSEd, CWP, CHC: Yes.

Host: Right, so if I give myself the challenge, all right, I'm going to declutter my closet and that'll create more room for more stuff and new clothes. I find myself a few years later, I'm in the same spot. I'm like, well, now it's full.

Ashley Krul, MSEd, CWP, CHC: Absolutely, Absolutely. And decluttering in the wintertime, especially if you know you're going to get more presents or something, you know you're creating all this extra space and then you just fill it up again, as I've noticed with my kids stuff, especially.

Host: There's a real of practical reason for this. And then there's that psychological component of, you know what? I decluttered and therefore I have more room. So give me more stuff. perfect. You see how that, that works perfectly for a kid's brain. You know.

Ashley Krul, MSEd, CWP, CHC: Absolutely.

Host: you told me to get rid of some stuff and I did, and now give me more stuff.

Ashley Krul, MSEd, CWP, CHC: What are we doing to ourselves?

Host: Totally. So let's talk about some of the practical decluttering projects. You know, as I said, I was getting ready for the holidays to get my decorations out or making more room in my closet, but what are some of the projects that you recommend that we can tackle in the fall and winter to, you know, improve our living spaces and our mental wellbeing?

Ashley Krul, MSEd, CWP, CHC: Yeah, so a few quick tips could be to clean up and store all of your items from the spring and summer that will no longer be used in the cold months ahead. Then determine, again, if there are any items that can be thrown out or even donated if they will no longer be used, or if they weren't used this past summer.

There's a good chance if it was not used within the past year, then it may not be used again. Not for all items, but for most items. But again, for most, as we just mentioned, you know, store all wet, warm weather items together and put them away as they will no longer be used for at least another six months.

Another project that you could participate in is going through your pantry in your kitchen and determine if anything is expired or even out of date and can be discarded. If there are packaged foods that have not expired that you no longer want, you could even consider donating these items to a pantry or shelter.

 You could even take this project. You can do that further by organizing your kitchen and pantry with the help of containers and shelving to keep everything organized and put together in their specific groups.

Host: You know, we touched on this earlier about nostalgia and that it really does play a part in all of this, the decluttering and we try to get decluttered for the holiday season, but we stand there and we look at things and go, Oh, I remember, you know, I, my kids are 16 and 20, but I remember when they used to like play with this thing and they're never going to play with it again. And by the time they have kids, it'll be so like old fashion and out of date or whatever. And yet I find myself, I have that difficulty. And I'm sure a lot of folks do, you know, finding that balance between trying to declutter and the sentimentality and simplifying our lives. What do you recommend?

Ashley Krul, MSEd, CWP, CHC: Yeah, so this is a very tricky one and it actually resonates with me personally. It's typically very easy for me to get rid of items that I no longer need or that serve any sort of purpose in my life. But if it's sentimental, then I truly have a difficult time parting with those items. And then add the holiday season to the mix of decluttering sentimental items and you really do have a problem because the holiday seasons are viewed as a time to spend with those that you love and care for. And while it's typically a time for happiness, it may also be a time for loneliness and sadness, maybe due to a loved one that is no longer around during those times of the year, or maybe not having the ability to be around those that you care for during the holidays. But a few tips that I would suggest for decluttering sentimental items would be, you know, make sure to declutter sentimental items last.

Start with high impact areas, then work your way down so it seems like you're making a big difference with decluttering first. You could also find different ways to store these items, maybe into a scrapbook if they are pictures, cards, letters, etc. Purchase containers or a nice wood trunk to store items in.

I have a really nice wood trunk that I store a lot of my sentimental items in so I can at least kind of keep them all together and it's a really nice container or organizational tool. I am actually working on something myself. My great grandmother passed away and I have so much of her clothes and linens that bring back so much nostalgia for me.

And while I would love to keep all these items, they are very bulky. So, I will be having a quilt made with all these pieces together. This way I can, I'm cutting back on the items and I'm saving space, but at the same time I'm keeping everything I want at the same time. But another thing, you could also consider sharing these items with other family members that would also appreciate them as much as you, just to kind of cut back again.

And then another tip would be to find new ways to preserve items. Another personal example for this would be that my grandmother had a dresser that was around 125 years old and I received it and it meant so much to me, but I just didn't have the space for it in my bedroom, so we repurposed it and fixed it up and it is now a staple piece in our living room for storage.

So find new ways to preserve items. And then finally, the most important tip is to just take it slowly. There's no rush to getting rid of items that are of high value to your heart. Take the time to figure out what you truly want to do with those items first before parting ways with them.

Host: So how do we stay motivated? I'll tell you what I do. When I work on my garage, I listen to music. Perhaps a little bit too loud. My wife tells me my neighbors don't appreciate my music as much as I do. I say, I need it. I need it to stay motivated. You know, some hard rock, you know, something like that. Or when I'm doing the Christmas type stuff in the house, I'll put on some holiday and it just kind of sets the right tone. Get a glass of eggnog and some holiday music. So what do you recommend to just keep us motivated?

Ashley Krul, MSEd, CWP, CHC: Yes, absolutely. And I love the music idea. But as mentioned previously, I would suggest starting with the high impact areas again first. By doing so, you are likely to make a big difference very quickly and motivate yourself for continuing throughout the decluttering process. Other resources or tools that may help you keep on track could be, you know, to make a list.

I'm a big list maker. I love to see everything written down that needs to be accomplished, and I absolutely enjoy being able to check off an item as being accomplished. This always motivates me. Another one may be to watch a YouTube video on decluttering or organizing or any sort of visual. Visually seeing what others are doing; not only may motivate you, but it may give you ideas on what you can do to declutter as well. And then finally, this one may seem really silly, but you could invite people over for a gathering or a host a holiday event. Some people just need to be pushed and this may be the push that they need to get it done.

But, there are many different ways to stay motivated, but you just need to find the best way that works for you.

Host: Yeah, that's why I find the motivation to dust and clean, you know, is, oh, wait, people are coming over. Absolutely have to do this. I cannot put this off anymore.

Ashley Krul, MSEd, CWP, CHC: Yeah, hey, whatever works.

Host: Absolutely. Oh, this has been really fun and educational today. Let's finish up here and talk about some eco friendly or sustainable decluttering practices that kind of align with the focus on environmental wellness and the mental health that so many of us are going to need during these colder, darker months.

Ashley Krul, MSEd, CWP, CHC: Yeah, so any way that you can declutter or make your space clean and tidy, you're going to increase your environmental wellness and especially your mental health. A great way to declutter by being eco friendly is to donate many items to areas in need. For instance, if you have blankets and towels that you no longer use or that you want, you could consider donating them to a local animal shelter that would truly appreciate them. You could donate other items to homeless shelters or any other establishment that would benefit from receiving these items. Or maybe you have other household items that you just no longer want or need. You could post on Facebook Marketplace that you are looking to get rid of the items for either free or, you know, given the way the economy is, sell it for less than maybe what you paid for. This way you're benefiting from this and the other person does as well.

Host: Yeah, I love that. We have a donation thing here in my town, and I know that it goes directly to people. There are other places where you donate, but then they end up reselling those things. And I love being able to donate things, whatever it is, clothes, shoes, food, decorations, whatever it might be. I love knowing that these things are going to go directly to people and families who need them. I'm sure you agree.

Ashley Krul, MSEd, CWP, CHC: Yes. Absolutely.

Host: Yeah, that's great. Well, like I said, this has been fun and educational today. I know we've spoken before. I'm sure we'll speak again. Thanks so much and you stay well.

Ashley Krul, MSEd, CWP, CHC: Yeah. Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.

Host: And for more information, go to summahealth.org. And if you enjoyed this episode of Healthy Vitals, we'd love it if you'd leave us a review. Your review helps others find our educational content. I'm Scott Webb. Thanks for listening, and we'll talk again next time.