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North Florida Goodwill encourages people to declutter for mental health, donate clothes, items

Organize Your Space, Reduce Stress, and Support the Community During Goodwill’s Week-Long Event from March 16–22

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s National Clean Out Your Closet Week, and Goodwill Industries of North Florida is encouraging everyone to take time to declutter, get organized, and donate gently used clothes and household items.

This week-long event runs from March 16–22 and offers the perfect opportunity to clean up your space while giving back to the community.

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Experts emphasize that clutter can negatively impact mental health. Jacksonville-based licensed mental health counselor Melissa Brown explains that a chaotic environment can affect how we feel and process information.

“I always like to tell my clients that what we see affects how we feel,” Brown said. “If we’re looking around and seeing a lot of disorganization, it can impact how our brains are processing the world around us.”

Research links clutter to increased levels of stress, anxiety, and even depression.

Brown also noted that clutter can trigger negative habits, which may extend to other areas of life, such as hygiene, work, school, or family responsibilities.

“You could be nurturing or feeding negative habits that continue to grow,” Brown said. “This can lead to neglecting basic responsibilities, like caring for yourself or your children.”

If you’re unsure where to start, Goodwill of Northeast Florida offers several practical tips to help you declutter:

  • Give everything a designated place.
  • Group similar items together and designate a resting place for each item.
  • Sort clothes and household items by season.
  • Label boxes to make items easy to locate.

By following these simple steps, you can take control of your space and start organizing in a manageable way.

Goodwill Industries of North Florida is accepting donations of gently used clothes and household items at any of their locations throughout the region.


About the Author
Brianna Andrews headshot

This native of the Big Apple joined the News4Jax team in July 2021.

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