Relief in everyday life
6 strategies for clearing out things without losing them
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There is always something lying around somewhere that had to be bought but is not used. Whether personally valuable, practical or expensive things – when things pile up, there is only one solution: clearing out. But why is this often so difficult for us? And what can we do about it?
In the affluent society in which we live, things are made so easy for us: order something new with just one click and the debit is almost automatic. The package will be there in a few days. Through advertising and recommendations, we are constantly introduced to new things and we immediately have an idea of what’s new on the market. Instead of using the things that are already lying around at home, we would rather do something different. And yet we cannot separate ourselves from the old things. And that again and again. How can we then keep track?
It once cost money…
It would be a shame to throw it away…
Selling is always such an annoying process…
It was a gift after all…
You could use it again…
We keep coming up with excuses for not getting rid of things. We could rather ask ourselves what the purpose and use of things is and whether we can really use them in our everyday lives.
The right attitude does it
We want to avoid feeling loss when things are thrown away. But isn’t it much nicer to feel a sense of relief? Thinking about it rationally will help, so a healthy attitude towards decluttering is particularly important. Only then can it be easier for us to let go of old things. Keeping in mind that it is not a loss but a relief could help. The idea of disposing of old things is already the answer to the question of whether we shouldn’t perhaps keep them. What a nice feeling it can be to have space in the shelves and drawers again!
Reducing can also help
Maybe the first step doesn’t have to be to get rid of everything straight away, but rather just to reduce things. With a set of grandma’s old cups, one cup would look really stylish among the other colorful cups – the rest of the set could then go away. And why not use the long jeans that have been lying in the back of the closet for years to lighten your trouser legs and turn them into shorts for the summer? This way we could get rid of things and still keep a small part and find a new use for it.
Make your loved ones happy
In order to still be able to use the things to some extent, we could give them away to family members and friends as long as they are happy about them and can use them. So we can look at our best friend’s former favorite sweater or our cousin’s bracelet. We can certainly borrow it from them again if we feel like using it again.
Take photos to make it easier to get rid of
It is particularly difficult to part with things that hold memories and were made by others. One option would be to photograph them. This means that the painted pictures and handicrafts can be viewed again and again without taking up a lot of space. And let’s be honest: we’re much more likely to look at a photo than dig old things out of the back of the closet.
Store personal works sorted and tidy
Alternatively, certain things could be sorted and stored in a folder or box. This is particularly suitable for children’s self-drawn pictures, which should never end up in the trash. So we can look at them again and again, but at least they aren’t lying around on the desk or hanging on the fridge as the hundredth picture. With sensible order, the feeling of constantly wanting to clear out is only half as great.
Donate – do something good as a new association with clearing out
Why not do something good to associate decluttering with a positive feeling? Donating clothes and items can help other people and put a smile on their faces. The idea that someone else can be happy will make the breakup easier. Many people are particularly missing clothing and useful items that could make their everyday lives easier. The feeling that others could feel better by decluttering their home can only be great.
We don’t necessarily have to separate ourselves from everything, especially if things still have meaning. Nevertheless, we should mainly keep the things that we really need and that we can do something with. Little things get lost when there are too many material things. Just as bad as throwing things away is having them lying at the back of the closet and completely forgetting about them.
Sources used: mariahusch.com, sueddeutsche.de