Every time I take a good look at the overabundance of stuff in my house, I’m amazed at all we’ve accumulated. AND, I’m shocked at all the stuff I decided to keep but haven’t thought of in years. If you feel my pain, read on for 5 questions that help you simplify your life by letting go of stuff you don’t need.
I recently ventured into our attic. Here are some of the things I found up there.
- Empty cardboard boxed so crispy they crumble at a touch
- A roll of old linoleum for a floor we redid six years ago
- Suitcases from my college days that are held together with duct tape
- Baby items, including stained baby blankets and burp cloths, plus plastic toys that are sticky from existing for 25 years in a hot attic
- A box of childhood “treasures” I haven’t thought about in ages and that no longer feel precious
- A gag gift from twenty years ago, containing very corroded batteries.
Needless to say, I’ve cleared out that clutter. Most of it went directly into the trash. Which is a pity, since some of those items could have been donated if I’d given them away when they were still useable.
Which brings me to 5 questions that have helped me downsize the clutter and enjoy the freedom of letting go of stuff I don’t need (while blessing others in the process).
Why does decluttering simplify your life?
Decluttering is hard work. How does it make life simpler?
Three quick reasons.
It reduces time spent organizing and hunting for stuff. Without the excess, you can more easily find things, and you spend less time tidying them away.
It reduces stress and guilt. Sometimes our things trigger unpleasant emotions. Such as the cross-stitch project we never get around to finishing, which triggers guilt. Or the coffee mug we keep in the back of the cupboard, that triggers a memory of a relationship gone bad. And so on. When we let these items go, we no longer face the constant reminders.
It frees up mental and emotional energy. An article in PsychologyToday.com entitled “Why Getting Rid of Things Can Change Your Life” states:
“Recent research has seemed to catch up to what we humans have instinctively known and felt when in cluttered surroundings: When we tidy up our physical environment, our emotional space often follows suit and naturally cleans up as well.”
And so, here are 5 simple but powerful questions that will help you simplify your life by letting go of stuff you don’t need.
Does it spark joy?
This deceptively simple question helps us face the emotional baggage connected with our stuff. As I mentioned above, our possessions are often attached to memories of an event, person, or accomplishment. When you get rid of things that don’t spark joy, you eliminate emotional weight you didn’t realize you were carrying.
Practical tip. Some things don’t spark joy because they trigger a non-joyful memory or emotion. Other things may have sparked joy in the past, such as swim team medals from high school, but the accomplishment is no longer important. Thus, they are no longer meaningful, and you can let them go with gratitude for the good memories.
(P.S. don’t overthink it. You don’t need to know why a particular item triggers a tight spot in your gut. Just release it.)
Have we outgrown this item?
I wish I’d asked this question about half the stuff in my attic! Then I could have given it away when it was still useful to someone instead of storing it until it was too old for anyone to enjoy.
Moving from one stage of life to the next is healthy. We make it easier to fully engage in our current stage of life when we let go of the stuff from previous stages that we no longer need. This question helps us let go of sports equipment we no longer use, outdated or no-longer-my-size clothes, and toys, supplies, and equipment your kids no longer need.
Will my loved ones be glad I kept this?
This concept comes from a small book with the strange title of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning. The author, who claims to be somewhere between eighty- and one-hundred-years old, suggests that reducing our stuff before we die will be a big blessing to our heirs and their families. The more we keep, the more they will have to sort through. So why not simplify everyone’s life by thinning the pile now while we still have the ability to do so?
Could this item be a blessing to someone now rather than later?
We all save meaningful or valuable items we plan to pass on to others someday. But we don’t need to wait until we’re dead to do so! Why not begin giving your treasures away now, so you can enjoy watching friends and loved ones use them.
I remember my grandmother allowing me to choose some pretty items from her jewelry chest. It meant more to me because we shared the moment together.
What heirlooms, excess China, art, holiday décor, etc. do you have sitting around that you could give away now rather than later? Do it.
If I forgot I had it, will I miss it? (Um, no.)
Pretty much everything I listed from my attic at the start of this post falls into this category. I forgot it was up there, and I wasn’t missing any of it.
Even the “treasures” from my childhood that I’ve kept all these years. True, they were once precious, but now they’re just a motley collection of odd baubles. Honestly, I can’t remember where I got them or why they were precious to me. I was only holding on to them because I remember that once upon a time I cared. But that time is long gone.
That’s how it is with sentimental stuff. Every time we sort through it, we can release a little bit more. Realizing we haven’t missed it in many years makes it easier to let it go.
Bonus Tip: Simplify your life, holiday edition
Now is the ideal time to declutter holiday décor. You’ll be dragging the boxes out of storage anyway. Why not take a little extra time and determine what décor you still love and use, and what can be donated or tossed.
Why wrestle each year with tangles of Christmas lights that no longer work or fill valuable storage space with boxes of fall decorations you don’t use any more? Let it go and make next holiday season easier!
Note: your local thrift shop may be inundated with holiday décor right now. You may have to box it up and wait a month to donate it. But don’t forget.
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