Skating Uphill - April 2019

Living a Healthy Lifestyle

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“I cheer up not only by the bright, warm weather, but also by the prospect of a thorough, deep, spring closet cleaning… and of course, buying replacements!” – The Uphill Skater

Spring is here, which brings change—visually with pops of color blooming everywhere and physically, as we can feel the heaviness of winter slough off which each warm, sunny day. A change in scenery is a good thing. People who are into biorhythms are happy right about now, since the belief is that our bodies respond at an ultra deep level to all things changeable.

Talk about a scene that needs a change of vibes and lightening up, let’s focus on your closet. Old clothing, old ways and old bad habits can affect one’s health in many ways. Even depression has been linked to surrounding oneself with clutter and hoarded stuff. Old, no longer vibrant, worn out, tired stuff gives me a sense of feeling sad and frustrated. On the bright side, I cheer up not only by the bright, warm weather, but also by the prospect of a thorough, deep, spring closet cleaning… and of course, buying replacements!

In case you may not be as cold-blooded and heartless as I am when it comes to taking those things you no longer really want down to the thrift shop, I am sharing a list of criteria for those “to go” items:

1. Is it dusty? This means shoes, shoulders, and hangers. If your shoes are dusty, it has been too long. If the shoulders of your dresses, blouses, etc. are dusty, it has been too long. If the hangers are actually dusty – well, you know the rest!

2. Did you wear it last season? If you are looking at putting away winter things you have not actually worn all winter, I think you may know what to do instead. You don’t want to put it away only to have it resurface next fall and look you in the eye yet again.

3. Is it the wrong size? Hopefully it is too big, not too small, but both criteria apply. If the item does not fit the body, it should go find a body it does fit. Sometimes this can be tough, as we like to tell ourselves we will get down to that size again, or we are keeping the item as what I call “Fat Insurance,” but neither of these criteria should apply.

4. Is it WAY out of style? I have some of those. My reason for keeping out of style items is not that I hope they will come back; most of the dated clothes in my closet have about as much hope of coming back as a poodle skirt. The real problem is that old, hard-to-get-rid of feeling of “cheapskated-ness.” Yes, that is an actual word. I just made it up. Don’t pretend you don’t know what I mean, either. Just check it out and see how many items you have in your closet that are totally out of style but you keep anyway. I’ll l bet you ten dollars you’re still keeping things because you paid so much for them. I know I am, and I have the hardest time of all with those items. I have a mink vest that I have not worn for at least five years, but I’ll be damned if I will part with it. I’m positive you totally understand, so I won’t dwell on it.

5. This is the last, and by far the best, reason to get rid of something in your closet: “I hate it!” Yes, it’s as simple as that, ladies.

Think about your closet, and then think about cleaning it as metaphor for your life. Let me know if you see a few parallels!

Happy spring cleaning! Love, Judith

Visit www.skatinguphill.com blog for new recipes, daily thoughts, and décor ideas. Also find reprints of Pink articles and shared comments. Blogging is fun and easy. Look at my blog and maybe you will want to try it yourself!

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