How to declutter(ˈdēklətər) your life as we hoard(hôrd) goods we never use

How to declutter(ˈdēklətər) your life as we hoard(hôrd) goods we never use

We hoard £10(pound) billion worth(wərTH) of clothes(klō(T͟H)z) we never wear and with £2.6(pence) bn(billion) spent on unwanted Christmas(ˈkrisməs) gifts(gift), January(ˈjanyo͞oˌerē) is peak time for stuffiness(stəf)

By Fiona Duffy

It’s a modern-day epidemic(ˌepiˈdemik) triggering(ˈtrigər) stress(stres), panic(ˈpanik), depression(diˈpreSHən), guilt(gilt), indecision(ˌindiˈsiZHən), despair(diˈspe(ə)r) and a sheer(SHi(ə)r) inability(ˌinəˈbilitē) to cope(kōp). And the cause? Stuffiness.

No, not being bunged(bəNG) up with a cold, but being surrounded by more things than we can ever use.

We hoard £10 billion worth of clothes we never wear and with £2.6 bn spent on unwanted Christmas gifts, January is peak time for stuffiness.

“When we’re swamped(swämp) with things, the good stuff gets lost among the dross(dräs,drôs),” says organisational(ˌôrgəniˈzāSHən) expert(ˈekˌspərt) Jamie(jāmi) Novak, author of Keep This Toss(täs,tôs) That.

“The fewer things you keep, the more special they become to you.”

A new book called The Gentle(ˈjentl) Art of Swedish(ˈswēdiSH) Death(deTH) Cleaning is set to change all of that.

Author Margareta Magnusson insists(inˈsist) it’s not a sad or morbid(ˈmôrbəd) subject.

Death cleaning simply means removing unnecessary items(ˈītəm) to make life nice, orderly(ˈôrdərlē) and enjoyable(enˈjoi-əbəl) again.

Here is our essential(iˈsenCHəl) guide(gīd)…

Start large (for example, with furniture(ˈfərniCHər)) and work towards small, emotionally(iˈmōSHənəl) laden(ˈlādn) items. “Never make photos, personal letters(ˈletər) or baby clothes your first task,” says Margareta.

Make a rule to toss(täs,tôs) one item a day, says Jamie. See it through. Once you’ve decided you’re chucking(CHək) it – get it out of the house!

…
https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/how-declutter-your-life-hoard-11909570