Last updated on November 10th, 2021
We are all creatures who find comfort in the familiar and end up surrounding ourselves with the many things that we hold dear just because they are memorable and meaningful.
But this love to collect and accumulate things can get in the way of our happiness when these very things start weighing us down instead of giving us any joy.
Let’s have a look at a few of those things that may be impacting our well-being and that we need to bid a hasty goodbye to.
1. Broken Things
We all own things that are way past their prime and sometimes even beyond repair. But something still stops us from throwing them out. Maybe deep down, the feeling that is stopping us is a fear of not having enough, which makes us cling to and hoard what we already have. Experts also term this as a poverty mentality. But surrounding ourselves with broken and irreparable things fills us and our surroundings with the same broken energy. It’s time we took a hard stand and brought ourselves to let go of these things that are doing us more harm than good.
2. Paper Clutter
One thing so ubiquitous in every household is piles and piles of paper clutter, in just about any drawer that you open. Old bills, age-old greeting cards, letters, you name it. Some of these may trigger old memories making us reluctant to let them go. But these big piles of paper clutter don’t just occupy a lot of space in your home, they also overwhelm us with feelings of anxiety and stress. It’s time we sat down and began breaking the piles down into smaller chunks, to keep what’s essential and discard the rest.
3. Random Freebies
We all own them. Random (sometimes funny) mugs that either came free or that we picked up on an impulse. And now that they’ve grown to a considerable number, we really don’t know what to do with them. Somewhere deep down we still feel they are worth something and that stops us from getting rid of them. But it’s high time we stuck this annoying clutter in a box and gave it away.
4. Unused Hobby Items
We buy them thinking we’ll get around to making time to use them, and unfortunately never do. The stash just keeps growing with our growing aspirations to pursue some hobby or another which we may not have the time for. It’s best to get rid of this source of guilt (about the wasted money) and unused clutter, as soon as possible.
5. Books That We No Longer Need
We always associate books with strong emotions. And why not? After all, they instantly transport us to different worlds and are there with us at so many important times in our lives. Giving them up might seem like a lot, but once they’ve outlived their importance, they just become burdens to lug around. Which definitely isn’t healthy. Why not let someone else find joy in them instead?
6. Unused Gifts
As a rule, we mustn’t keep things in our house that don’t bring us any joy. But whether we like it or not, we end up with a lot of well-meaning people in our lives handing us things that don’t quite match our taste or sense of style and we can’t give these gifts away as we feel guilty. But all that holding on to them does is – add clutter in our home and weigh us down. Are they really worth keeping then?
7. Keepsakes From Childhood
Things from our childhood hold a lot of emotional value and can be quite hard to part with. But as we grow and evolve, things that once mattered to us the most, slowly start fading in importance. It is important for us to acknowledge this change and flow with it, instead of stubbornly clinging on to a part of the past that doesn’t belong in our present. It might seem tricky, but it is definitely doable.
8. Outdated Collections
A collection that we once cherished and painstakingly put together can turn into a burden when we’ve grown out of it and are no longer into it. Letting it go can be hard as it almost amounts to abandoning all the memories associated with it, especially if it was a loved one who encouraged us into starting it. The best thing to do would be to create a memorial of sorts of the collection and keep one piece from the collection in a special place so that we know that our cherished collection and the person(s) associated with it haven’t stopped being important to us.
9. Children’s Things
A home with kids will always have a stray crayon on the living room floor or a Lego piece making a sudden appearance on the couch. But when this huge mess of toys, books and their daily artwork gets their closets to start bursting at the seams, it can make parents feel extremely anxious and give them a sense of losing control over things. It may be time to take control of things and cut down this clutter.
