Don't Let Sentiment Take Over Your Life

Determine what is worth keeping.

- Mala Ashok

We have all heard that clearing the clutter in your house clears the cobwebs in your mind. But all clutter is not equal. What is particularly difficult to get rid of is, ‘sentimental clutter.’

While you constantly need to keep ahead of this type of clutter, it becomes particularly important to do this after the death of near and dear ones. Everyone needs to clear such clutter periodically so as to ensure that after death, heartbroken relatives are not at a loss to figure out what to keep and what to discard.

While there are ways to get rid of meaningful objects, it is much more difficult than getting rid of ordinary or regular clutter.

Maria Kondo’s “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” is not just a bestselling book. It has become a cultural phenomenon and inspired even ‘hoarders’ to throw away bags full of excess stuff. However, even the most Kondo-like among us often find it difficult to part with objects that hold any sort of sentimental value.

Some examples of such articles are greeting cards, thank you notes and cards, and other souvenirs. These articles usually accumulate and take up valuable space. More importantly storing them makes it difficult to find objects which get lumped up with the clutter.

It is important to learn how to honour the memory of a person or an event without adding on to the clutter.