Stuff is wonderful and lovely when it brings you happiness and joy, it’s ok to have stuff, this is not an exercise in minimalism. There is no point having things in our homes that remind us of bad times though; why would we want a little nagging imp sitting on the shelf making us feel terrible every time we see it?

Ditch 5 things in 5 minutes or less.

If you find you are on a roll keep going but don’t bite off more than you can chew, there is no need to do it all at once.

Choose small, not expensive things for todays declutter. Put them in the box, say goodbye to them!

We are not looking for things that stir up huge emotions here, just little things that nag away at us.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Does it remind me of a bad time?
• Does it make me feel sad?
• Does it make me feel guilty?
• Does it make me feel I should do something I probably will never get round to doing?

You can do this in any room and likely candidates are:

• Books you mean to read one day
• Shoes you wore once to an interview you didn’t get the job for
• A dress that makes you feel ugly
• A half knitted cardi for a friends baby that is now in primary school
• Bottles of smelly stuff that you don’t like but were given to you so you think you will be ungrateful throwing them out (you won’t!)
• The fish tank for the fish that dies and you are keeping it in case you get new ones, one day.

Sometimes, the things we have around us hold memories linked to strong emotions.

Get rid of the little things that just don’t feel right to have around and if something comes up that overwhelms you, be kind to yourself.

It is fine to leave it until you have the support you need to process these emotions.

If, on your way, you find things that make you really happy and bring up wonderful memories then celebrate them! Put them in pride of place on a shelf, make sure you can see them.

Want to talk about it?

I'm Lisa Cole. I'm a designer and writer who lives in Bristol. Less-stuff is about my journey to live a more organised life. I document little things I can change to live more sustainably. I'm not a minimalist!

If you found this post interesting and want to discuss it you can find me in the less-stuff Facebook group or you can Tweet me here.

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