Why Can't I Let Go Of My Belongings?
Our relationship with ’things’ starts early in life. From our first teddies or ‘blankies’ through to the ticket to our first concert, things often have more meaning than simply what they are.
There are millions of teddies in the World, but they’re not the same one that kept us safe at night. There are trillions of pieces of paper, but none that hold the same memory as that small piece of printed paper that reminds us of that musical experience.
In a modern world, life has got faster. We do more. Fortunately much ‘stuff’ goes up into the cloud (and Facebook kindly reminds us annually of the event). However, clutter appears and makes life difficult. It’s harder to relax. It’s harder to clean. We can’t appreciate any one article for the sheer volume of other articles around us.
There’s lots of research going on into our attachment to things at present, but easyStorage is a simple business (we hold onto your things for you, keeping them safe until you want or need them again), so a quick look at the four main reasons we keep things may help us decide whether to finally part with them or make the space to fully enjoy them.
Sentimental value
Sometimes people will feel a real sense of loss when they part with – or think about parting with - with a particular object. We’re not talking about an extreme ‘object attachment’ that’s a way to compensate for a lack of people to care about; or even about hoarding.
Many of us will have a ‘favourite dress’ or gift from someone that we don’t want to part with. Some will have a lucky t-shirt that they wear on their favourite team’s game days.
These things are used. Keep them with you. If you bring them out and get pleasure from them, why should you part with them, however battered? Whatever decluttering purists may feel, things are more than just things, sometimes.
There are other things that we keep for sentimental reasons but don’t use regularly or never look at. It may be wedding albums. Photos of the children to pass onto them when they’re older.
These are things that can be stored away. How you choose to later share them is up to you, but don’t let them clutter up your life and create issues for you. Your current happiness is more important than saving something for someone who may not appreciate it anyway (could they take it now?!) or for old age.
Finding a safe place to store things out of sight could prove invaluable.
You might need it
How many things do we have that we might just need?
Kitchen gadgets are a great example, but take a wider look around. From things for potential arts and crafts projects to ski wear that we’ve not worn for twenty years, there are always things that we hold onto ‘just in case’.
Ski wear is an interesting case in point. You may genuinely be going skiing at some time in the future. But at that point, will the kit still fit? Will it make you feel like a ‘Borat’ throwback if you put it on? (Fortunately ski fashion isn’t quite that brutal, but you get my drift!) Only you can decide, but rather than allocating a huge chunk of wardrobe or drawer space to puffy jackets and bulky trousers, could you earn a little money by selling it on? You could even keep the money aside towards new kit when the time for that skiing holiday eventually arrives.
The decision whether to keep or declutter can only be yours – but make sure you truly enjoy whatever you decide to keep.
We are going to fix them
Furniture pieces that just need a quick rub down and varnish. The clock that’s sat on a sideboard for almost a decade awaiting repair. A chair that needs a new leg.
If you store these things away, they’ll definitely never get dealt with, and if they sit staring at you, you may feel a constant, nagging guilt.
‘Do it or ditch it’ may seem brutal, but if that project has no realistic prospect of being completed, you may thank us in the long run!
The expense
We’ve seen people use price as a measure of whether to keep things – if it’s inexpensive, has no emotional attachment and you haven’t used it for x period of time, it’s time to pass it on to someone who WILL use it.
But one of the hardest things to part with is an object that you have spent a lot of money on. Letting it go, second hand, for so much less than you paid, hurts.
Only you can come up with the right answer for you, but if you genuinely believe one day it might be of use, rather than simply holding onto it ‘just because’, consider storing it away.
A good declutter is great for mental health, and selling things on can free up useful cash towards something that brings you happiness. But if you decide to store things, easyStorage offers ‘self storage’ at around half the price of traditional storage. Quotes are available 24/7 online: https://book.easystorage.com/. There’s even a handy guide to help understand how much space you’ll need.