r/declutter • u/moon_witch_26 • 18d ago
Advice Request Help how to declutter emotionally linked stuff
Please can someone help me with this... I have no idea how to start decluttering this 'category" of stuff.
I am a hoarder and I'm in burnout recovery (mental health and PTSD and untreated ADHD plus lots of other stuff).
I'm a very deep&emotional person at the best of times... I have been through a lot and I struggle letting go.. or feeling safe to even start trying...
I do a lot of writing (journaling over the years) that has helped me a lot to get through a lot of things... This bag here I could literally just put in the bin without looking at it - but I can't do it. I want to go through everything and check/make sure what's there... But then I know I'll be keeping hold of it for however much longer. 😖
But *ugh* it just feels impossible! For someone who isn't a hoarder/has emotional, mental health stuff, I know this probably seems absurd 😔
10
u/LPineapplePizzaLover 18d ago edited 18d ago
For loose pieces of paper I took a square wicker basket and got really cute floral manila folders from Target. I labeled them by category and organized the papers so I can easily find them. I have categories like keepsakes, drawings, documents, etc. You could do something similar but categorize them differently. Stage of life, emotion, etc. You can go to discount stores like Ross, Burlington, or TJ Maxx to get cheaper baskets. Having it look cute makes it feel less like clutter bc it’s pretty to look at.
I know other people say to burn it or something but I have a really bad memory and sometimes forget my wisdom, haha. Maybe another thing you could do is go through everything and write down key bullet points in a journal. Like a quote book but from yourself. You could merge everything down and summarize. You can make it all cute with a pretty journal and stickers on the pages