We love to collect beautiful, comfortable and practical things in our home. But sometimes the desire to have a lot of things develops into real hoarding, which only brings problems. Closets littered with clothes and shoes, a lot of bottles, jars and flasks in the kitchen, an abundance of shower gels, shampoos and soaps in the bathroom, a bunch of old documents on the desktop... Why does the notorious “Plushkinism” appear and how to deal with the passion for accumulating things?
Reasons for hoarding
There are actually several reasons for hoarding unnecessary things. The first of them is the fear of being left without anything. This affects mainly those who grew up in difficult times or in low-income families. The inability to buy what you wanted in childhood or adolescence, at a conscious age and with the advent of wealth, transforms into shopaholism and hoarding.
The second reason is the desire to seem like a good housewife. Because of this, sometimes old things are not thrown away. What if a worn jacket serves as fabric for sewing a soft toy or covers for a stool? Mayonnaise jars are suitable for growing seedlings, and can a wiped blanket be used instead of a floor rag? But the fact is that this “suddenly” thing will not happen soon, and the extra rubbish remains in the house, taking the place of something needed. By collecting and storing old things for years in the hope of “what if you need them,” you will definitely not seem thrifty and thrifty.
Reason number three is nostalgia. Yes, a service gift given to you for a wedding by your grandmother or a rug knitted by your mother can evoke a feeling of warmth and care. But if half of the cups from the set have already broken, and the rug has lost all its appearance, is it worth storing these things? The answer is probably not.
And the fourth reason why your home is overgrown with unnecessary and old things is your attachment to them and your reluctance to change anything. Yes, the blanket is already 10 years old and has faded and faded, but it still keeps you warm in the cold. Old, cracked cups? But they are roomy and have a beautiful design. A teddy bear that acts as a “dust collector” on a shelf or on a bed? It was given to me by a classmate in elementary school on March 8th!
Is it possible to get rid of these things?
Can. And here's what you need to do.
The first thing is to understand that your home is not designed for storing outright junk and unnecessary things. They collect dust, interfere with cleaning and do not improve the interior much. As soon as you get rid of everything unnecessary and just old, you will physically feel how easy it is to breathe in the room and apartment.
The second is to remember that something new, bright and fresh always takes its place. After throwing away old suitcases, place new ones in their place; replace a faded and stretched T-shirt with a beautiful and bright one. New things significantly improve your mood and well-being.
The third thing is to actually start dealing with deposits and rubble. If you don’t have the energy and time for global clearing, allocate at least a quarter of an hour a day. The main thing is not to get stuck remembering how and from whom you got your old salad bowl or vacuum cleaner.Evaluate the usefulness of a thing by practical criteria, and not by the emotions associated with it. Whatever objectively may still be useful, but you don’t specifically need, give it away or sell it.
And fourth - always check yourself when buying things. If you have 26 identical handkerchiefs, do you need another one? Or the fifteenth lipstick when the previous ones have not yet been opened? It also makes sense to ask your friends, acquaintances and loved ones not to give you unnecessary trinkets and souvenirs.
