Decluttering: A Gift to Your Family and Yourself

Is it time to begin preparing for the next chapter in your life? Downsizing or decluttering can help you create room mentally and physically for that next phase. It’s also one of the most thoughtful and loving things you can do for your family.

While it can be hard to part with items you’ve cherished for decades, here’s a gentle truth: many of those things—while meaningful to you—may not be what your loved ones can use or want. That doesn’t mean they don’t care. It’s simply a reflection of changing lifestyles, limited space, and different values.

Where to Start?

As parents it’s natural to think our kids will want our stuff. We hold on to things until our children are older and have homes of their own. And let’s be honest—it stings when your children don’t want something you have treasured. You might hear your children say things like, “I don’t have room for that,” or “I just don’t need it”. You are not alone, try not to take it personally. Pieces that hold sentimental value just may not be practical for them. According to Seniors Real Estate Specialist magazine, these are some of the items you might be holding on to that are most frequently declined by family:

• Bulky, matching furniture sets
• Fine china and silverware
• Figurine collections and “display-only” items
• Encyclopedias and large book collections
• Worn out linens
• Outdated clothing

Downsizing often involves parting ways with things that carry emotional weight. Children’s mementos such as artwork, keepsakes, and holiday cards hold important memories and symbolize the lasting relationships with those you love. Letting go of these items can invoke feelings of guilt, loss, and anxiety. These feelings are very normal and should be embraced as part of the process. One way to preserve the memory is to take a picture and write a short story about the item and place these in an album, easing the pain, which might just enable you to finally let go of the possession.

Ask yourself some of these questions when you’re going through your personal effects:

• How many sets of sheets or towels do I really need?
• How many throw blankets can be used at a time?
• How many sets of dishes or pots and pans are necessary?
• How many pairs of winter boots should I keep on hand? Do they even still fit?

Realistically taking stock of what you use regularly, what has not been used in a while, what still fits, or what is needed, can help sort the clutter and set the stage to begin letting go of items that could possibly serve someone else better at this time. Here are some additional tips for tackling all those piles.

Sell, Recycle, Donate

Your loved ones may not want to inherit your treasures but there is good news! Everything can find new life in a home outside of your family circle if you sell, recycle, or donate.

Items that have monetary value can be listed online on sites such as Facebook Marketplace, Craigs List, OfferUp or KSL. Consignment stores, such as Home Again, are another option for quality items such as furniture, collectibles, and décor. Call ahead to inquire about whether they have interest in your items before hauling them across town. Consignment stores will handle the sale and share a portion of the profit.

Electronics and large appliances should be disposed of or recycled properly, protecting the environment. The Utah Recycling Alliance is an excellent resource for information about how to handle bulky and hard-to-recycle items. You can check for recycling programs through Salt Lake County or your local municipality.

If selling or recycling are not in the cards, there are many local charities, thrift stores, shelters, and community programs that will be ever so grateful for your gently used items. Nothing makes me happier than believing my donated stuff has made it into a new home with new owners and it’s serving them well. If I am not using it, someone else should be, has been my mantra as a minimalist. Those old kitchen towels and décor are looking good somewhere, I am sure of it!

Here are some organizations that accept donations throughout Utah:

Big Brothers Big Sisters: Preferred items are clothing, linens, household items, small
appliances. This organization offers curbside pickup service, find details on their website.

International Rescue Committee: Preferred items are clothing, household items, and furniture, with items being used by recently arrived people of refugee backgrounds.

Catholic Community Services: Preferred items are furniture, household items

Restore: Preferred items are building materials (from nails, plumbing supplies, fixtures,
lighting, to extra tile), appliances, furniture.

Thrift Stores: Deseret Industries, Savers, and Goodwill have numerous locations statewide and thrive on donated items of all sorts.

Reflect with Gratitude

Decluttering can be a profound experience. While you go through items and cherish the memories, focus on how thankful you are for everything you have. If you’ve followed renowned international decluttering expert Marie Kondo, you know that showing gratitude to items that have served you well can help you let go and allow the item to serve someone else as it did you. Take a look at how the KonMari method helped one of our past clients.

Research has found that a less cluttered space can lower stress levels and allow for more productivity by allowing room for better organization. Mentally, how about allowing more space in your brain for clarity and peace of mind? These are great reasons to take on the downsizing, decluttering task for yourself and your family while helping the community to benefit through your donations. As an added benefit you’re keeping things out of the landfill–a big win for our environment. Extending the life of clothing, furniture, and household items reduces overall consumption and makes sustainability a possibility.

Things can bring us joy but donating things you no longer need can also bring joy and enrich the lives of others. Embrace a new chapter and turn the experience of downsizing and decluttering into an experience of personal growth and newfound gratitude!