13 Tips on How to get rid of Sentimental Clutter (without feeling guilty) — Minimize My Mess (2022)

FAQs

How do I stop being sentimental about clutter? ›

Should you keep sentimental items? ›

If you have any guilt or other negative emotion connected to an item, do not keep it. Sentimental items to keep include things that are significant, can be used or displayed and do not bring up any guilt or other negative emotions. If this is the case, set the item in the keep pile.

What are some sentimental items? ›

Baby toys, baby clothes, band t-shirts from exes, artwork, and furniture are just a few examples of sentimental objects that can easily be given new life. Even though you might have sentimental attachment to an armchair doesn't mean your friend does.

How do you declutter mementos? ›

How do you declutter 30 years of stuff? ›

HOW TO LET GO OF SENTIMENTAL ITEMS (MINIMALISM) - YouTube

How do you mentally prepare to get rid of something? ›

Why do I find it so hard to get rid of stuff? ›

One of the biggest reasons it's hard to declutter for many people is simply lack of time. Your life might already be busy and full. And sometimes it feels like there's just not enough time to add decluttering to your already never-ending to-do lists.

How do I let go of old photos? ›

What keepsakes should you keep? ›

Why do I hold onto things? ›

1. Our stuff has sentimental value. The most common reason we hold onto things is because we're sentimental creatures.

What should I declutter first? ›

Closet and Clothing

The easiest way to tackle a closet is to first declutter your clothing by type. That means start with shoes, then boots, then dresses, then denim, etc. It's much easier to decide to toss or keep a pair of jeans if you're looking at your entire jeans collection at once.

Where do I start decluttering when overwhelmed? ›

Why can't I throw anything away? ›

People with hoarding disorder have been made famous by the A&E documentary series "Hoarders," which follows individuals as they struggle with debilitating amounts of clutter in their homes. People with hoarding disorder acquire lots of stuff and are psychologically unable to throw it away.

How do I get rid of perfectly good stuff? ›

How do I get rid of everything in my house? ›

How do I get rid of unwanted things in my house? ›

What is the root cause of clutter? ›

Behavioral/psychological: Clutter caused by depression, attention deficit disorder, low self-esteem or lack of personal boundaries. Time/life management: Clutter caused by the need for better planning. Of these, the behavioral/psychological-driven clutter is the hardest to solve.

How do you declutter without being wasteful? ›

Which photos should I delete? ›

Should you throw away old photos? ›

Generally, it's not advisable to throw away negatives because you can use them to bring your photo back to life if the picture gets lost or damaged. But if you have no other use for the film, you can try sending them to a local company for recycling.

Should you keep old photos? ›

It's always wise to digitise your old family photos to preserve them; scan them or re-photograph them, and save them onto an external hard drive or cloud storage. And if you don't want old prints, pass them on to someone who does. If they're really old, consider donating them to a museum or local archive.

What do you put in a keepsake box? ›

How do you make a homemade memory box? ›

Here's how to make a memory box that will help you safeguard them. Transform a wooden box with red felt, shoelaces, and striped ribbon. Using fabric glue, cover the top and sides of a top-hinged box with felt. Poke holes on the short sides of the box and string laces through for a tie closure.

Why am I still hurt by the past? ›

When months, or even years, have passed and the memory of a past romantic rejection still stings, it may be because you believe the breakup revealed something about who you are as a person.

Why do I get sentimental about everything? ›

Feeling heightened emotions or like you're unable to control your emotions can come down to diet choices, genetics, or stress. It can also be due to an underlying health condition, such as depression or hormones.

Why do I have an emotional attachment to things? ›

As adults age they may have increased sentimental thoughts toward their possessions that elicit subsequent increases in attachment to those objects. The increase in sentimental thoughts may be through the use of objects to recall and reminisce about pleasant memories [11••].

How do you get rid of a clitoris? ›

How do you deal with sentimental feelings? ›

What is a sentimental person like? ›

A sentimental person is strongly influenced by emotional feelings, especially about happy memories of past events or relationships with other people, rather than by careful thought and judgment based on facts: Why be sentimental about that old coat?

How do I know if I'm sentimental? ›

A sentimental person has strong emotions and experiences life with a great depth of feeling; be it happiness, sadness, nostalgia, grief, guilt, or any plethora of emotions, sentimental people feel them all! What is this? Someone who is sentimental might laugh easily or cry harder than anyone else.

How can I stop being so sensitive? ›

Related content

​How to get rid of clutter with sentimental value (2022) ›

If you’re a person with a tendency to store anything and everything in your home, decluttering can be a real slog – even when the items you’re chucking out are relatively meaningless.So when the things you’ve accumulated have sentimental value, clearing them out becomes even more challenging.MORE: H...

From letting go of decades old pieces of kids’ art work to rehoming family heirlooms, here decluttering and organisation experts give their advice on how to clear out items with emotional ties…. Then, it’s time to think about how you want to sub-categorise your photos.. Ingrid also believes it’s important to declutter sentimental items after you’ve gone through other, less emotive items, first.. ‘This way you build up the confidence to make good and solid decisions when you come to the hardest sentimental category,’ she says.. Decluttering expert Helen Sanderson recommends various options for clearing out precious items like old pieces of art work done by now grown-up children.. ‘Take things that have meaning and make them into something,’ Helen advises.. When gifting to family members, Sarah recommends establishing some rules.. ‘Set a collection deadline date with your family,’ Sarah adds.. ‘Procrastination is endemic with making decisions about belongings, so I encourage clients to set a firm but fair date and say, “what is not collected by Saturday afternoon is all going to charity/auction”.’. Of course, you may want to keep some heirlooms for yourself; if that is the case, Sarah suggests being creative.. 'Ideally empty the contents of the loft and sort into keep/donate/recycle/rubbish/action piles on the floor of another room.. Ingrid believes making memory boxes is a good way of being selective with which sentimental items you’re keeping.. Then start to organise and declutter, keeping some special items for your box.

How To Deal With Sentimental Clutter Without Feeling Guilty ›

This is a guest post from Chris Tecmire of Simple Family Finance. Though Chris, his wife, and his 6-month-old son live on a very modest salary, they have been able to increase their net worth over $60,000 in the last […]

I had to say goodbye to the others years ago, but Jer Bear, Tiger, and Mountain Lion have stayed with me until now.. Some of our “stuff” simply consists of rarely-used glassware from Bed Bath & Beyond and a collection of books that I’ve been meaning to read for years, but other items have real meaning.. We feel as though we must hang onto the mug or the stuffed animal in order to maintain those memories.. There’s nothing wrong with hanging onto sentimental items, but something needs to be done if you’re honestly trying to simplify your life because there will be memories everywhere you turn.. That’s it – just something to glance at from time to time in order to remember some of the important items from our past.. If the sentimental clutter is simply stored away in your basement or attic, you aren’t exactly reliving those memories anyway.. Creating a sentimental scrapbook allows you to relive the good times anytime you like.. However, I’m also aware that he probably won’t want to have nothing but hand-me-downs from his dad, so I’ll pass two of the three down to my son and let Mountain Lion go.. My blanket, in fact, works just like Chris’s “sentimental scrapbook.” In my case, I had a huge problem getting rid of old T-shirts from things like high-school teams, concerts, my dad’s wardrobe (he passed away when I was in middle school), etc.. Really think about Chris’s example – and mine – and find a way to downsize some of that sentimental “stuff” – especially if it’s packed away in “storage oblivion.”

The 13 Negative Emotions Of Decluttering - And How You Can Turn Them Into Positives...... ›

Everything you need to deal with the negative emotions of decluttering and turn them into positives. Get that clutter free home with less stress and overwhelm.

Decluttering is an emotional thing to do – after all – you’re going through all your stuff and making decisions on each and every item.. I feel emotions even when I just think of decluttering some of my things sometimes… It’s hard work!. So – how can you declutter even WITH these emotions that you’re feeling?. When you start getting rid of things, you may feel guilty about a number of things:. How To feel less guilty: Remind yourself that it’s OK to get rid of things.. How To FEEL HAPPIER WHEN DECLUTTERING: It’s really important to allow yourself to feel these emotions, and to give yourself time to grieve.. Decluttering things that you spent money on can seem a real waste – and often leads to feelings of regret.. Declutter these items with the confidence to know that once they’re gone, you won’t have to feel those things again each time you see them.. And if they really don’t want to be – start with the things you DO own and CAN declutter.. When we get rid of too many things at once (or even when we’re just thinking about it) we can start to feel really anxious.. How To Deal With ANXIETY FROM DECLUTTERING: Start by decluttering one small area at a time.. Ironically when we declutter, if we let these negative emotions in – then they clutter up our mental space, cause us stress, and make the whole process much harder.

13 Reasons You Struggle to Declutter & How to Overcome Them ›

13 common reasons you may struggle to declutter, and what you can do to overcome them. Often knowing why you are struggling, makes it easier to overcome it.

If you can’t think of one, let the item go!. If you aren’t currently using or loving the item, what makes you think you’ll use or love it in the future?. Get rid of it, either donating it or selling it, so someone else can use or love it.. They will always be there, whether you keep the item or not.. Whatever it is, sometimes you struggle to declutter things from your past because it’s hard to let go of that part of your life.. Sometimes you struggle to declutter because having a lot of stuff makes you feel safe and secure.. Decluttering and getting rid of stuff makes you worry you won’t have enough when you need it.. When decluttering, you can still keep the things you use, love, and make you happy.. Organizing stuff you don’t use, need or love wastes your time, space, energy and money!. Get rid of the stuff you don’t use, need or love, and you’ll never have to deal with it again.. It can feel overwhelming at times.. Sometimes you want to declutter and start living with less, but are struggling to find the time.. Then you’ll know exactly what to do with items you’re decluttering when the time comes.

How To Declutter Without Feeling Guilty | Let Go Of Stuff Guilt ›

Feeling guilty about parting with your stuff? Learn the easy method to declutter without feeling guilty so you can take back your house!

Maybe you’ve been giving some thought to decluttering some of those overloaded areas of your home, but you’re afraid your decluttering project will leave you with feelings of guilt.. Did you grow up like this or find that your home is currently filled with items that just don’t see to have a purpose?. Now that you have an even better understanding of what clutter is costing you let’s get down to how best to part with the things that are holding you back!. If it’s still in good condition, it’s not doing you or anyone else any good by just sitting in a box.. People give gifts to make the receiver feel good.. It’s a waste of space and money to keep holding onto them.. The trick here is to give yourself the time you need to truly see if you need the item.. Now, you can’t do that with all the clutter, but for really big items or sentimental items give yourself the time you need.. If something is in good condition but it has to go, donate it or sell it online or at a yard sale.. If you think you’ll use it and have a plan for how to use it, keep it but move it to its new home, the place you’ll be using it.. Just go through your space a little at a time and start to make progress.. If you’re selling items online or at a yard sale , make a plan for how you’ll spend that money.. Decluttering is not easy, but if taken a little at a time, you can start to move past the guilt and get on to finally getting organized.

Marie Kondo: How to clear out sentimental clutter ›

The very personal stuff in our homes is the hardest to lose but unless it ‘sparks joy in your heart’, says Marie Kondo, you should get rid of it. Here she tells us seven ways to effectively deal with the detritus of family life

What’s more, sentimental items are in fact the last sort of clutter that you should clear out: Kondo recommends that you “train your tidying muscles by tidying in a specific order, and begin with the categories of items that are typically easier than sentimental items”.. One thing you should never do, says Kondo, is send boxes of sentimental items to your parents’ home – and nor should you ignore items that languish there long after you’ve moved out.. “If you bundle them into a drawer thinking, ‘maybe some day I’ll return to them,’ then I doubt they spark joy in you, and they are taking energy away from other items that do spark joy for you,” she says.. If it’s an item that you know was important and meaningful to a parent or grandparent, now dead, or if it represents them to you, Kondo says you should thank it for the service it has done and the role it has played in your family’s life.. Keeping an item beyond the time it sparks joy for you will only diminish the care and appreciation you have for the other items in your life.”. Tidying your family’s photos should be the final stage in your journey to clear the sentimental clutter in your home, says Kondo.