CLUTTER CHALLENGE: “ALL OF MY LATE FATHER’S BELONGINGS ARE COLLECTING DUST IN MY BASEMENT.”
WHY IT HAPPENS
Inherited possessions can come to represent the person who owned them or symbolize your relationship. Clearing them out can trigger guilt, and may make you feel like you’re saying goodbye all over again.
THE FIX
Ask someone who can be objective to help you organize these pieces into categories, then decide which you have room to keep, which to pass on to family and which to donate or sell. As you sort, remember that your loved one is not their stuff, and if you hold on to too much the items can feel like a burden. Your goal is to keep the most meaningful pieces and give them a place of honor on a shelf or side table so you can appreciate them. If letting go is still too difficult, take pictures and create a photo book that you can flip through from time to time.
No matter your clutter challenge—piles of papers, boxes of keepsakes or stuffed closets—there’s a quick and easy way to clean it up.
Source: Woman’s Day | Rachel Rabkin Peachman
