Do you feel sad when you have to get rid of ‘things’? These are some of the reasons why you keep old and unused items.
There is a small percentage of people in the world who like to tidy up. You will find them organising their stuff and not finding it difficult to get rid of old or unused things. But for some people, getting rid of clutter is a psychological challenge and struggle due to various psychological factors.To overcome this feeling, you need to examine your relationship with the things you have in your life. It doesn’t matter if they are large or small. It is also important to understand how you feel about what you have and why you hold on to this clutter. This is, of course, with the aim of reducing excess and organising your home in a healthy way.
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What is the paralysis of getting rid of old and unnecessary things?
This type of feeling, and the psychological stress it causes, occurs when you are overwhelmed by various thoughts and feelings that prevent you from making progress in getting rid of things.Often, when people are confused, the first reaction is to avoid sorting things out. Thus, over time, the chaos and trivial objects accumulated in the home gradually increase. It grows to the point where it prevents a person from fully enjoying the space available.
Why do we find it so hard to get rid of unused things?
The truth is that clutter and excess are not just about the things in our homes. It’s more about what these things mean to you.According to the healthy habits website The Simplicity Habit, here are some common reasons why people are so attached to their stuff:
1- Identity reasons
People currently live in a consumer-driven culture. Advertisers and companies constantly insist that we represent what we own and what we buy. They sell us different products on the basis that we would live a different life if we had what they are trying to sell.As a result, people’s identity becomes confused with what they own. Where a person begins to believe that it is their possessions that signify their self-worth and true being. A particular brand or type of car becomes a status symbol or a defining human characteristic. But what many people may not realise is that when material objects are part of a person’s self-image, it becomes difficult to let go of other things. This is because giving up things at this stage is like giving up part of a person’s identity, according to the Organise My Life website on organising and mental health.
2- A source of security
Another reason why it is so difficult to get rid of things and clutter is that people feel more secure when they have things. Especially if they are someone who has suffered a poor past or childhood or deprivation, which is a challenge for them as they get older.The person starts to see the things they have as a security shield. He may create scenarios in his mind about needing it one day. He also wonders if he will be able to get them in the future. The freedom, however, lies in having fewer things, not in being burdened by having too many things.
3- Excessive emotional attachment to objects and collectibles
If a person has inherited certain possessions from a loved one who was absent for one reason or another, these things can become a source of emotional attachment. Even if a person does not like the collectibles themselves or use them in any way, the person who is emotionally attached to the collectibles pins his or her feelings for the loved one onto these items. This makes it difficult to let go, according to the A to Zen Life website for quality of life and mental health.However, it is important to remember that people are not their objects. Good times and memories shared with others are enough to maintain intimate feelings for them without needing their things.
4 - Feeling comfortable owning more and becoming addicted to buying.
It is also possible that some people feel more comfortable and secure when they own different things and collectibles. They expect it to make them happy. But the difference is that buying useless things can make a person temporarily happy. Soon, he or she is caught in a spiral of buying to feel a momentary sense of satisfaction. This is called shopping addiction.The importance of decluttering for your mental health.
Anxiety, depression and chronic anxiety are all linked. According to Mother – a website dedicated to motherhood and parenting – scientific studies have shown that women suffer from high levels of cortisol (the body’s natural stress hormone) when they are in a cluttered space filled with unnecessary things.Clutter makes it harder to concentrate and think clearly. The more stuff you have in your home and personal space, the more likely you are to feel stressed and overwhelmed. So, there are a number of benefits to be gained from living more simply.