There are not as many days left until the New Year 2026 as it may seem — it’s high time to tidy up not only your closet but also your life.
The end of autumn is the perfect time to clear space from the unnecessary and make room for the new. This practice works just as well as the popular affirmations: by getting rid of what we don’t need, we symbolically let go of the old and open ourselves to change. And on the eve of the Year of the Fire Horse, this ritual is extremely important: the hostess of the New Year 2026 demands decisiveness and clarity.
You should throw away not only broken items or clothes that you haven’t worn for several years. Everything that holds you back is under scrutiny: from old habits to emotional clutter. We have compiled 6 categories that you should part with before the chimes of the clock — let the New Year 2026 begin with lightness and liberation.
1. Clothes You Haven’t Worn in a Long Time
It seems that one sweater will come in handy for trips to the dacha, and those jeans can be worn at home. But the truth is that clothes you haven’t worn for over a year are no longer a part of your life. Fashion and style also reflect your inner state: if you want to start the New Year 2026 renewed, it’s better to honestly reassess your wardrobe.
2. Broken Appliances and Useless Gadgets
An old hairdryer, a non-working remote, a power bank that hasn’t charged in ages take up space and hinder progress. Things create stagnation not only in the home but also in the mind: according to Eastern philosophy, energy should circulate freely, which is extremely important before significant changes. And changes for the New Year 2026 will begin precisely with such seemingly trivial matters.
3. Emotional Clutter
Keeping everything indiscriminately doesn’t mean being sentimental. Rather, it’s a way of not letting go of the past: old photos where you don’t feel like yourself, conversations with exes, hurtful words are recommended to be thrown away or deleted before the arrival of 2026. Free both your heart and your phone’s memory, as the Year of the Horse 2026 favors those who have let go of the unnecessary.
4. Expired Cosmetics
Old lipsticks, dried mascaras, and beauty products that are over two years old are not only useless but can sometimes be harmful. Products can cause irritation and allergies, and each of us has active preparations for the holidays ahead. Organize your makeup bag and keep only what truly works. Let the holidays, and in particular the New Year 2026, make you shine not just from highlighter.
5. Unloving Gifts and Unwanted Souvenirs
A mug from a colleague that you’ve never used, a souvenir from a vacation in 2014 that evokes no emotions, and other similar artifacts hinder the flow of new joys. Gifts should bring happiness, not remind you of polite debts. Keep only what truly warms your soul, and then the question of how to celebrate the New Year 2026 will resolve itself — with warmth and sincerity.
6. Old Decorations
If you are keeping tinsel, garlands, and ornaments in a palette that no longer pleases the eye, feel free to update your decor. This is particularly relevant before the arrival of the New Year 2026: the main colors here will be red, green, blue, and gold. Luck favors those who are ready to change, so let harmony corresponding to the colors of the New Year 2026 reign in your home.
Don’t perceive decluttering as just another routine action, as it is an act of care for yourself, the space around you, and your own future. The less unnecessary there is around, the clearer the thoughts and the faster the necessary changes come. The New Year 2026 can become a moment of renewal for everyone — light and joyful.
