Decluttering is hard, more so if you have a habit of keeping old things and can’t bring yourself to get rid of them. They might not even be sentimental items or keepsakes but just the stuff that has been with you for a long time and is hard to part with.
Our family has a car that has been with us for 10 long years and even though it isn’t working as well as it did a few years ago, it’s hard to let go of it. We have recently bought a new car but we just can’t bring ourselves to get rid of the old one because of everything it has done for us. Personally, this old car was my commute-friend all throughout my graduation as well as post-graduation and has been a huge support when my family was going through some very testing times.
Well, that’s how some things are hard to let go of no matter how useless they are. But the fact of the matter is that no matter how difficult it is to declutter certain emotions and things, there always comes a time when letting go is your only option. I know that sooner or later, I will have to let go of my old car too.
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I’m sure you love the idea of having a perfect, clutter-free living space but the road towards achieving that feat is hard and might require a huge mindset shift especially if you identify yourself as someone who has trouble letting go of stuff.
I have laid out a few simple tips & tricks that will help you change your mindset if you have a habit of keeping old things. And no matter how tough it is or how much time it takes, the results of this mindset shift are worth taking a chance for. So here it goes:
1. Get Started
The only way to declutter when you have trouble letting go of things is to start decluttering. It might be hard and overwhelming but once you get into the practice of decluttering things, you will come to realize that you don’t even miss them once they are gone. As you slowly get rid of clothes and keepsakes that aren’t adding value to your life, you will gradually get into the zone where decluttering won’t seem as difficult as it does now.
2. Identify The Underlying Emotion
There is always a reason behind why you have been hanging on to old things despite knowing that they are useless. Maybe they were expensive. Or you have memories attached to them. Or simply because you don’t know what to do with them.
To be able to get rid of stuff, it’s important that you deal with these emotions and figure out a way to sort them out. For instance, if price is what makes you want to keep the thing, consider organizing a garage sale to be able to recover some of your money. You can also sell some of the pricey items at a thrift store. For sentimental items, you can call in a friend or a family member to help you deal with the emotions before getting rid of some of your stuff. You can also choose to take pictures of your sentimental items to be able to look back at them even years later.
3. Shift Your Mindset From ‘What Do I Declutter?’ to ‘What Do I Keep?’
Since the idea of letting go makes you overcome with emotions, try out practicing the idea of keeping only the things you need.
For instance, if you are planning to declutter old jewellery and accessories, gather it all in one place and start picking the pieces that you love to wear on a regular basis. Once you are done with sorting through the jewellery, you will realize that there are only a few pieces that you have actually worn during the last few months and these are the ones that add value to your life.
This mindset will also acquaint you with the reality that the remaining pieces aren’t contributing anything to your life and hence, it’s better they go.
4. Consider Donation As A Way Of Parting With Stuff
Getting rid of stuff becomes easier when you think how useful it can be to someone in need. If there are clothes, books, kitchen utensils or keepsakes that you just can’t imagine parting with, give them away to a charity or drop them off at a Donation centre. You will find yourself feeling better knowing that these items will actually have a purpose rather than just hiding in your closet.
5. Picture Your Home After Decluttering
As someone who is too attached to their stuff, your biggest decluttering motivation would be a home devoid of all the chaos you are currently experiencing. Imagine how calm your living room will be after decluttering and how amazing it would feel to step into a place like that after a hard day at work. Picturing your decluttering goals is also a great way to manifest and achieve them.
6. Limit The Space Available To These Items
If you have a habit of keeping old things, you can still make your house liveable by limiting the space you give to these items. This space can be a small keepsakes box or a trunk or a cupboard in your home. Whatever the number of items you decide on keeping, make sure that they don’t find their way out of this designated space.
7. Make Peace With Some Extra Clutter
Your ability to recognize the fact that you have trouble letting go of things is a huge win in itself. So stop beating yourself up for being a hoarder. Instead, give yourself some grace by allowing yourself to hang on to a few items that are extremely hard to part with. If there are a hundred old items that you can’t let go of, set a limit on the number of items that you can keep. This can be 10 or 20 or 30 depending upon the space in your house. But make sure that you stick to this limit or all your decluttering efforts will fail.
We are all different in terms of our attachment to things. Some of us find it easy to part with old stuff while the rest of us are way too emotionally attached to them. But irrespective of our differences, we are all moving towards the same goal of turning our home into a relaxing sanctuary for ourselves and our family. And there’s nothing that compares to coming back to a perfectly cosy home to retreat to.