Overwhelmed with stuff cluttering up space? Creeping up on you?
How did I end up with all this! We collect stuff. Little bits over time and sometimes out of sight. How’s the garage going? Storage unit?
Sentimental gifts, inherited family pieces, clothes we never wear anymore, shoes we had to have. Old magazines. Papers. Most of us of own a lot of stuff we don’t use like birthday gifts. Do we hold onto stuff because we bought it as a bargain and would seem a waste now to throw out?
Marie Kondo has become a go-to site for decluttering and space in your life. Let go with joy.
Think about the cost of holding onto some of the stuff to store, maintain and maybe moving it for the amount of use it’s had.
Why is it that some people manage to live with less clutter where others are hoarders?
It’s about the value we attribute to the item.
Give thanks to the stuff you have collected and let go
Wander around your place and acknowledge the stuff you have collected. Admire them. Appreciate them. Touch them. Remember the time you bought or were given them.
Now let’s give thanks that you have had the time to enjoy them and let’s start off-loading.
- Sentimental family items are no value when hidden away. So, select your favorites and display them where you can appreciate them. Take a photo of the others. Kids can have their inheritance early! Someone else can enjoy them.
- Bargains were adrenalin clutter. You had your kicks when you purchased them. Ready to go to Vinnies or the Salvos for those who really appreciate your gifts that help them in difficult times. We are paying it forward.
- Replaced iPhones, old books, papers can be sent to recycling places.
Waste not, want not
Earlier generations living through hard times wore out every item and made do with whatever came to hand. That habit remained and if you have cleaned out an elderly relative’s house you find things that they thought might come in handy one day. 50 years later.
And the truth is, we have an over-abundance of food, takeaway items and retail. So much is unsustainable.
Decluttering with less angst and emotion
It’s about the value we attribute to the item.
We keep stuff because we have attached an emotional value to the ownership of the item. Only real for you, little meaning for someone else.
For some, the idea of going through their personal stuff creates real stress. Decisions. Paralysis.
Understand that their fear of letting go is very real and they will drag the stuff back. Owning stuff is comforting. Change resistance will fight to keep valued stuff even in the face of a looming crisis. This process could trigger buried grief when faced with losing something important again in their life that they suffered years before.
A major health crisis can precipitate a downsizing move and often creates high anxiety having to let go of collected stuff. The most precious valued items stay for familiarity in their new living space.
Deciding on a house or job move can focus clean-out energy to get moving. A property settlement clean-out can be liberating or painful depending on the state of the relationship and the feelings of loss. For others knowing that their partner wants to clean out, sit on their stuff.
Power struggles erupt.
It might be about territory, taking over space and crowding out other input.
This may result in sneaking out stuff in bits over time so that the other doesn’t notice the missing junk. This scenario can create a lot of tension over the real and perceived value of the items.
Stay cool 
Don’t rush the decluttering. Letting go can be a grieving process for many people.
If the clean-out is inevitable, there may be deep psychological factors that people may not recognize in themselves until their space and ownership are faced with change and perceived loss.
It may even take months, but start sorting out items that have not been used for ages and pack into a box somewhere nearby and not in a storage unit off-site and out of mind.
Revisit that box in 6 months and if you haven’t missed any items, then you don’t need them.
2 year rule
If you haven’t seen it for 2 years then you really don’t need it.
Working your way through your stuff, ask yourself ‘Does this item give me joy?’. Has the item outlived its value to you? Has your desire or emotional attachment now passed?
Being honest with yourself? How much stuff you’ve collected could you live without?
The physical act of cleaning out and seeing fresh space open up allows your mind to ‘breathe in new ideas and inspiration’.
More in control of your life instead of life controlling you.
Philippa Hunt is a Woman on a Mission.
WiseGirls Money Academy was created after working as a qualified Financial Adviser for many years and deciding it was time to assist women who desired to learn and develop the self-empowerment to understand their emotional relationship with money, the skills and knowledge to save and invest. They wanted to learn how to create their own financial future and become financially capable.
The WiseGirls Money Mission is to provide the opportunity and place for growth and development of women of all ages in personal and financial skills in a supported female environment so that they take control of their future to reach their own financial independence.
