5 no-guilt ways to part with clutter
Tip 4 is a game changer
Decluttering, or “editing” as the pros say, stirs up a lot of emotions. Guilt for accumulating so many things you don’t use, pain over the sunk cost of these items, memories made and attached to inanimate objects, agony over the environmental impact of the waste you create.
If you need to do a huge edit, I recommend not worrying about where items will end up — at least initially. This can inhibit your ability to let go. So just don’t worry about it for now. And sometimes, the right thing is to just drop it all off at Goodwill or the dump and never look back. So please don’t feel guilt if this is what you need to do in order to move forward.
But if you have the fortitude to funnel items to specific new homes, it can be extra satisfying. The dopamine high from seeing belongings piled up on their way out of the house—knowing they’ll be used and cherished in their new life—is enough to drown out other feelings of guilt or sadness. At least it is if you’re me.
To give you some ideas about how and where to start funneling, here are some ecologically and emotionally reasonable tips to give your items a kind goodbye:
Tip 1: Recycle and donate textiles all at once.
It can be hard to find places who will accept used textiles, especially ones in rough shape. JustPorchIt.com will pick them up for free from your porch, and then they donate what's usable and recycle what isn’t. They take sheets, blankets, pillows, shoes, and bags. Go to their website, enter your ZIP code and request a pickup. They’ll text you a date they’re going to come by. I love them!
