Are You a Slave To Your Stuff??

January 13, 2024

Do you constantly feel like you have something you “should” be decluttering/organizing? Do you stress out trying to maintain all your inventory? Do you feel isolated and never want to have guests over? Are you experiencing marital/familial conflict due to your possessions? Are you incurring added expenses for storage (either needing a bigger home to house all your stuff or renting a storage unit)? Do you feel shame from all your clutter? Do you feel trapped by your clutter? If you’ve said YES to one or more of these questions, you might be a slave to your stuff. There are many reasons people become slaves to their stuff. In this article, I’ll talk about the most common items in people’s homes that are difficult to part with, and what to do about it.

Items that are emotionally charged, sentimental, valuable (or were valuable at one time), and tedious to go through, are some of the most challenging things to part with. It can also be difficult to let go of things you think you might need later, or ones that are kind of a pain to get rid of (Goodwill won’t accept them.). If you’ve had trouble letting these items go, you’re not alone! Here is a list of some of the toughest clutter to get rid of:

China
Crystal
Silver bowls/platters/utensils
Jewelry
Wedding gifts that have never been used (despite a long-time marriage)
Artifacts from a previous marriage (wedding dresses, rings, photos etc)
Souvenirs from trips that are collecting dust
Old trophies
Framed photos that aren’t as meaningful as they once were
Appliances that never get used
Broken furniture that you’ve been meaning to get repaired
Clothes that don’t fit
An over-abundance of office or supplies
Way more cosmetics than you could ever use before they expire
Boxes of stuff that have followed you around for the past 2 (or more) moves
Unfinished projects that have long been forgotten about
Obsolete tech that you still need to get data off of
Duplicates [of anything] (just in case)
“Gifts” (things you don’t want to get rid of, but you tell yourself you’re going to ask a friend/family member if they want them)
Books that are just weighing you down (but you think you’ll read/re-read them in the future
An old coin or stamp collection from an older family member who has passed away
Finished artwork that you’ve made and don’t know what to do with
Toys that are missing pieces and you’re waiting for find all the parts
Old cans of paint
Antiquated equipment that you’ve been meaning to sell
Outdated décor
Remnants of hobbies that you know you’ll never get back into
Well-worn (and loved!) shoes
Way too much adorable kid’s artwork that you can’t bear to throw out
Large things that you don’t want anymore (pianos, furniture, mattresses, etc)
Old bedding

What to do if you feeling like you’re a slave to your stuff?

-Change your perspective with what you’re looking at. Take photos or videos of it so you can see it from a different lens.

-Break down the projects into manageable chunks and devote time to decluttering.

-Often, people feel guilt from the environmental impact of throwing things away. Things that are difficult to donate may need to get thrown in the trash. Remind yourself that your contribution to the landfill is microscopic compared to the bigger picture. Do your best to reduce, reuse, recycle, but don’t let this need rule your life.

-Remember that the process of selling things is tedious, time consuming, and you’re probably not going to get as much as you think you are. Focus your energy in selling the high value items and donate the rest. If you’ve got a lot of things to sell, use a company like Max Sold to run an auction for you.

-Connect with your intuition and be honest with yourself about things you know you’ll never use. Your body knows what you want and don’t want. Tune in and see if you can feel it!

-If you’re feeling stuck, hire a Professional Organizer (like me!), or enlist help from a friend or family member. You may even want to join an online support group to help you with your clutter.