Decluttering isn’t always easy but it does get easier when you get started and begin to enjoy the space you are creating. Even when you’ve made some progress though, there are still a few things that may be hard to declutter and the tips in today’s article will help you let them go.
Decluttering is one part dealing with your stuff and three parts dealing with your heart. This is why letting go is hard. Because stuff isn’t just stuff in our hearts. Stuff is the moment someone said hello or goodbye. It’s a pair of shoes we never thought we could afford or decades of photos that remind us that we had a life. Stuff is dozens of report cards and yearbooks, and it’s also 49 coffee cups (even though we always use our favorite one).
Knowing that your heart may be holding on a little too tightly, be gentle with yourself. Go easy, take tiny steps, and take lots of breaks as you work towards a more spacious, relaxed life.
5 Things That May Be Hard to Declutter
When you come across things that are hard to declutter, instead of giving up, focus on your thoughts. Shift your mindset to help you let go. Getting rid of stuff that doesn’t serve you anymore is not a sacrifice. It’s a gift. For you and everyone around you. Less really is so much more. Here are a few other mindset shifts that will make decluttering easier.
Once you get rid of the stuff that is weighing you down, you’ll have more space, time and energy for everything else. For specific decluttering strategies, read 50 ways to leave your clutter.
1. Photographs may be hard to declutter.
If you have a bunch of photographs in boxes or albums that you rarely look at, consider this: When everything matters, nothing does. When you have too many of something, like photos, you don’t really get to enjoy them. Most of our photographs and sentimental things aren’t bringing us joy. They aren’t helping us appreciate or honor the memories we want to hold on to. Instead they sit in a trunk, box, garage or other storage areas collecting dust. Or, we are paying to store photos we never look at or they are slowing down our phones and computers because we literally save them all!
After both of my grandparents died, I remember sorting through so many pictures of them that I rarely looked at while they were alive. I knew after looking at them, I’d put them back in a box and never appreciate them. And because I had so many, none of them felt that important. I found one picture of my grandmother curled up on a chair with my grandfather. They both looked so happy, content and connected. That’s how I wanted to remember them. I turned the photograph into a bookmark so whenever I read a book, I can think of them, honor their memory and smile. I was able to let go of the other photos with less heartache because this one image was enough to fill my heart over and over again.
2. You may struggle to let go of sentimental items.
When decluttering, don’t start with the sentimental items. It took years, before I was ready. First I had to build strength by letting go of the easier stuff like clothing, kitchen duplicates, sports or hobby related items that I didn’t use anymore, and furniture.
After years of building those muscles, I turned to items I felt more attached to like books and sentimental items. I had more strength to let go because of the benefits I had already experienced.
I released most of my sentimental possessions and memorabilia. And along with it, I released any guilt or emotional attachment. I celebrated the empty storage space and bins. I don’t regret letting go of journals, t-shirts, old photos and family heirlooms. Letting go of these souvenirs didn’t mean I was letting go of special memories, only that I was making room for new memories.
3. Books were hard to declutter for me (at first).
I never thought I would declutter my books! I love books. I’m an avid reader and I’m an author and still, today I own very few books. I gave away most of my books and now I pass books on after reading them. I give them to friends or drop them in a Little Library. When I first gave my books away to our local library, I told myself I could visit them if I missed them. As it turns out, I kept finding new books to read and never had to visit the ones I donated. I loved reading these books.
4. Things you paid a lot for may feel hard to declutter.
It’s unlikely that you will be able to sell your stuff and recoup the money you spent on it. Thinking about how expensive something can make it hard to let go of so I recommend a reframe. Think about the fact that you got your money’s worth already. Also, by holding on you continue to pay for the item in space, time and attention. Haven’t you paid enough?
5. It’s hard to declutter gifts that other people gave you.
Gifts can be hard to let go of, but that doesn’t mean you are required to hold on to them. You may be worried that people will check in on their gifts. Are you using that new pan I gave you? Are you wearing that jacket? That might happen but it’s pretty rare.
If you’d prefer not to receive gifts in the future, or you are trying to simplify and own less stuff, talk about. Ask friends and family if it would be ok to skip gift exchange or change how you exchange gifts. Spending time together or giving experiential gifts can be more meaningful and appreciated than one more thing you probably won’t use.
I’ve decluttered a lot of things from all of the categories above and I don’t miss a thing. It wasn’t always easy to let go but it was worth it. I’m happier living with less because there is less to clean, manage, organize, think about or worry about. If you’d like extra support while decluttering or simplifying, try a Declutter Hour or Join The Simplicity Space.
