Perhaps some of you, like myself, accumulate unnecessary items over the winter. Such as weird gag gifts from your friends Christmas exchange, or a stuffed animal your grandma gave you because you were infatuated with giraffes when you were younger. Little does grandma know your favorite animal is a shark now. Regardless of how you got them, they have been collecting dust ever since.

Unlike other people, I love spring cleaning. I love going through old boxes of junk and throwing them away because they don’t spark joy (thank you, Marie Kondo). I find it extremely therapeutic. It is almost as if I am throwing away part of my old life to be able to get on with my new one.

I know some people are extremely sentimental and what to keep everything that has value. But is it necessary to keep that pencil your first boyfriend in high school gave you? No, no it’s not. Throw it away. Even if you are still with that boyfriend, go make new memories with him instead of reminiscing about high school.

 Plus, spring cleaning doesn’t have to be boring! Put some music on and dance your heart out while trying to decide if you need three milk cartons worth of CDs. Maybe just digitize them (or listen to them on your phone like the rest of us). It’s also entertaining to find stuff that you thought you lost! Imagine thinking you lost your old Gameboy when you moved out, but hey! It was still in the box in your closet that you never finished cleaning out!

Now I know I get weird looks when I tell people I love organizing, but it makes me feel like I have control over something in my life. It makes me feel calm and I don’t stress about not being able to find things. Everything has a place and it all has a purpose.

Keep in mind, that things you don’t need, someone else might need them. I find it fun to open up a new garbage bag and stuff it with clothes that don’t fit me, my style, or my life. But it might fit someone else, so I donate stuff as much as possible.

The point of the story is to clean because it’s good for you. Even if you can’t get everything done at once, that’s okay! Start small! Start with that junk drawer in your kitchen (everyone has one) and buy some organizers. You can either make your own (out of cardboard boxes) or buy them (you can get them at the dollar tree). Now, go get cleaning!