Letting go of clutter is a struggle for many of us. It’s something that overwhelms us every single day. It makes our lives difficult, we struggle to accomplish daily tasks, and it creates a sense of overwhelm in our lives that we desperately want to avoid. However, many of us (myself included!) just can’t let things go for one reason or another.
I’ve had many instances in my life where I’ve held onto items for different reasons. Sometimes it’s taken me years to finally purge them. However, I always remember feeling a weight off my shoulders when I finally say goodbye to those things.
That’s what those items become. A weight on our shoulders tying us down. If you struggle with holding onto things, I encourage you to read through these 5 reasons why some people hold onto clutter and how you can overcome it.
1. We think we might need it someday.
Keeping things for a “rainy day” is often a struggle for many of us. We hate to get rid of something that we might use again. But the truth is that “rainy day” usually never comes. And many of the items we are saving would cost a very small amount of money to replace if we ever did need them again.
I want you to think about how much stress and anxiety some of the items you are keeping are causing you. Think about the amount of times you get frustrated searching for things under piles, in overly cluttered drawers, or digging in the back of your closet for that one thing you know you have but can’t seem to find.
Is it worth it?
Is the searching and stress and anxiety and overwhelm and frustration worth keeping things for that rainy day that might never come? It’s time to sit back and really analyze what you are keeping and why you are keeping it. If you aren’t using it on a regular basis or love it dearly it’s probably time to part with it.
2. We can’t stop purchasing new things.
We’ve all heard the term “shopaholic,” but have we ever stopped to consider how it might affect the spaces we live in? Think about how much stuff you bring into your home each day, week, or month. Do you have a place to store all of these things or are they becoming just more clutter?
I’m not advocating that you stop shopping! I love shopping! I understand that we have to make purchases to live and it can be very fun to get new things here and there. However, I encourage you to really think about the space you have in you home.
- Is your closet busting at the seems?
- Are your cabinets overflowing?
- Do your children really need that toy or is their toy box already overflowing?
If you want something new, it might be time to say goodbye to something old. If you don’t have the space to store it, you probably need to re-evaluate your purchase.
I encourage you to practice the 24 hour rule. If you find something you want to buy, give yourself 24 hours to sleep on it. Many of the purchases we make are merely spur of the moment decisions that we may end up regretting. Giving yourself time to really think about if that particular item is something you really want will also give you time to make sure you have space in your home to store it. I promise your home (and your pocketbook!) will thank you.
3. We have sentimental attachment to our possessions.
Okay, this one is hard. Sentimental attachment is a real struggle and can be one of the biggest reasons why we hold onto things. The memories the item has or the people we remember because of them are strong. However, the truth is that the memories and the people are not going away if we get rid of a particular object.
In the past, I’ve really struggled to part with items because they belonged to a particular family member like one of my grandparents. However, I’ve also found that I don’t need to keep everything of my grandma’s to remember her every day. Instead keeping just one or two special items that I keep displayed in my home make my treasure her memory so much more. If I had her things spread out all over my home or, worse, shoved in a tub in the attic, I wouldn’t feel that special connection to her.
If you are really struggling to get rid of sentimental items, try taking a picture of them first and then part ways. Display the most important items in your home so you can truly treasure them and the memories they hold for you.
4. We feel more secure.
This one might go hand in hand with the “rainy day” reason, but I think it deserves a mention all on it’s own. The feeling of security is strong. When we have full pantries, fridges, and freezers there is something inside that stirs a since of security for us. It gives us peace of mind to know that if something happens we have enough. But the problem is we often have more than enough.
Owning multiples of things is not only going to cause clutter, but can also be wasteful. Many times we keep things thinking we will use them eventually only to discover that they’ve expired after several years of sitting in the back of the closet taking up valuable real estate in your home.
Instead, try keeping just what you need and use now. Purge the extras and let go of the feeling of guilt.
5. We are overwhelmed and don’t know where to start.
I think this is where a lot of us are today. We know that we have too much. We know that we suffer with overconsumption and have sentimental attachments to things so we avoid decluttering out of fear. There is a fear that we might have to change our lifestyle or make decisions we aren’t ready to make yet.
But the truth is, the fear of starting is holding us back from a much simpler and easier life. Clutter holds us back and bogs us down.
Do you feel like you can’t dig your way out from the cluttered mess of your home? Do you struggle to get rid of things for any of these 5 reasons or maybe even others? If so, it’s time to conquer your clutter once and for all!
That’s why I’m so excited to share with you about the Conquer Your Clutter Super Bundle. You can get this amazing bundle filled with 18 e-books, 5 e-courses, and 15 printable packs. The products included are valued at over $700. You can grab the Conquer Your Clutter Super Bundle for $47. It’s just what you need to clear the clutter, organize your home, and create a system to keep it that way.
You can find out more information about the Conquer Your Clutter Super Bundle here.
I want to encourage you to take the first steps towards minimizing your possessions so that you can make more time in your life for the things that truly matter. Finding margin in your life is important. We don’t want to be tied down to our possessions, but have the freedom to live our lives to the fullest. It’s going to take a lot of hard work, dedication, probably some tears, and little bit of will power. But it’s so worth it in the end.
What’s your reason for holding onto clutter?
Free Stock Photo courtesy of picxclicx.com
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