So I had lots of clothes to the point where I had 3 closets full and plastic bins to hold the rest. The other day I made myself go through my clothes and get rid of well over half of them. Now when I look at the much smaller amount I have, I almost worry I will get bored of my clothes or that I no longer "have enough" even though most of the clothes I got rid of, I never even wore. Did anyone else feel this way? How did you adjust to a smaller wardrobe?
Is it normal to feel conflicted after decluttering my closet?
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In cognitive psychology there is a concept called sensory adaptation. The basic idea is that when we experience a new sensation, our perception of it is heightened, and then over time we adapt, and it becomes less noticeable. This is not an exact example of this, but I think the analogy can help. You are used to seeing a larger amount of clothes. Seeing the smaller amount, right now this is a "new sensation" so your perceptions are heightened. It feels very strong. Over time you will likely get used to this amount. Your senses and perceptions will adapt. I had that issue when I donated a bunch of books. The gaps in my bookshelf looked weird. They looked empty and I had the impulse to fill them. But over time I got used to the visual. and now it just seems normal.
Another thing I did was I started tracking what I wore. I discovered that even though I were a huge variety of garments, and almost never repeat an outfit in it's entirety, I still have lots of options. Far more than I realized just by kind of estimating. If you don't want to track outfits over time, it could help to take some time one afternoon or weekend and make a bunch of outfits. Figure out for each top how many bottoms you could wear. How many different pairs of shoes. How many different accessories. You don't necessarily even have to try it all on. Just go through everything and count by putting together outfits with the items still on the hangers or folded or whatever. If you start counting outfits, you may find that you have far far more outfit options that you realize.
Oh this is a great idea. And knowing for sure that each item fits, does not need repairs or pressed, well my goodness how sweet would that be.
Ok I’ve still got work to do, thank you.