“A decluttered home can literally be life-transforming” says Jane Andrew, a professional organiser from ClutterFree, Cape Town (www.clutterfree.co.za or WhatsApp on 072 440 6081)
It’s hard enough to sort through your house and get rid of junk, but when you’re sorting through stuff that holds meaning for you it can be heartwrenching. Here are tips on how to handle it.
BOOKS, old photographs, travel trinkets, things you’ve inherited – when it comes to decluttering, it’s these kinds of sentimental items that rarely make it to the dump or donation pile. Instead, they gather dust on shelves or are stored away in boxes somewhere at the back of a closet. But holding onto all things sentimental can seriously stunt your decluttering efforts, and experts say hanging onto lots of unused stuff can even affect your mental health. Several studies show a link between disorganisation, clutter and mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and feeling constantly stressed.Decluttering physical spaces helps your mind feel decluttered, which helps your mental wellbeing, and the opposite is also true.
“When your home is cluttered, it’s often overwhelming and that feeling can seep into all areas of your life – relationships, work, physical health and mental health,” says Jane Andrew.
WHY WE HOLD ON TO THINGS
It’s important to remember that while these items hold emotional significance, your memories and relationships are not dependent on physical objects. Apart from the emotional reason, we also hang onto things thinking we will need to use them in future – a common cause of clutter.
“This feeling that one might regret getting rid of something can keep you stuck in the decluttering process. Of the hundreds or thousands of items that you let go of, you’re unlikely to miss 99% of them or even remember you had it in the first place. It’s worth letting go of lots of clutter items and taking the chance of perhaps making an error on one or two. The sense of liberation is more important and a decluttered home can literally be life-transforming.” Explains Jane Andrew.
HOW TO LET GO – Jane Andrew’s tips
Try these tips for sorting through items that are emotionally “charged”. Keep in mind that it can make you feel more depleted than going through regular stuff and that you need to acknowledge the emotional aspect of the process.
- Compile a decluttering checklist and get some empty boxes. On your checklist, include all categories of sentimental items – books, photographs, children’s art and so on. This will give you an overview of how much you have and you can start thinking about what you can do without. Get four boxes and label them keep, donate, sell and discard.
- Start the decluttering process in areas of your home where there are fewer sentimental items. This will build up your decluttering muscle before you tackle more difficult spaces.
- Don’t buy extra storage containers. Choosing a few from ones you already have at home will help you limit yourself – it’s like having a boundary for what you can keep known as the “container concept”. Buying more storage boxes may lead you to keep more stuff than you should.
- Recognise and replace unrealistic thoughts with more realistic ones during your sorting process. For example, instead of saying, “What if I need this item one day?”, replace it with a more balanced thought such as, “I can let go of things that are no longer useful”.
- Be aware of Mr Justin Case i.e. Just In Case items – we don’t need as much as we think we do in our lives so keep only items that bring you purpose and pleasure.
- Understand that getting rid of sentimental items often works better as a journey rather than a once-off exercise. So declutter one small section at a time, such as one drawer in a cabinet, or dedicate a small chunk of time to it, such as 10 minutes each day for a month. Take small steps and focus on gradual progress.
- Try to detach emotionally from material possessions by reminding yourself that they are merely inanimate objects and that your strong attachment to these mementos is because of either the person who gave it to you or the experience or memory, which you already have.
- Instead of asking yourself if you’ll really need a particular item “one day” rather tell yourself that this is “day one” – and that from today onwards you will work with the present, decluttered lifestyle you’re establishing.
- Don’t feel obligated to keep gifts. If you keep every sentimental item, then nothing is special – keep only the most special of special items.
- Try the spontaneous combustion rule – should this item suddenly disappear, ask yourself if you’d go out and purchase it or ask for it again. This will help you to identify which items are truly special and those you’re able to pass on to someone else to enjoy or get rid of.
- Store items you really struggle to get rid of in a box and keep it out of sight for a few months. Look at the items again after you’ve had some time “away” from them and see if it’s changed your perspective. It may be easier to get rid of things once you realise you didn’t miss it.
- Acknowledge feelings of anxiety, uncertainty, self-doubt, loss and grief when sorting through sentimental stuff. These feelings will dissipate over time and be replaced by a sense of accomplishment, relief and some sense of closure.
- Ask for help from a friend or family member. It should be someone who’s not emotionally connected to the items and will be able to give you objective advice about what to keep and what to save.
TOP TIP
If you’re holding onto items that are valuable or could be sold, keeping them stored away means missing out on potential opportunities to declutter and generate income.