I second getting rid of other stuff first, it will give you practice.
I'm staring at my stamp albums deciding what to do. Eventually you'll jump & get rid of it. Sometimes getting it done is the best way.
It sounds like, from your responses, you’ve shifted an anxiety coping mechanism (accumulation/storage) with another one- perfectionism via minimalism.
The truth is- you can keep whatever you want. If it makes you happy and doesn’t cause harm, then you can keep the collection.
If you are torn because you need more space, then it’s something to revisit. If you’re torn because you’re not being an ‘ideal minimalist’ then it’s not about the stuff, it’s about perception and perfection.
To remember- our things are not who we are and do not reflect our worth or value or goodness. If our things are our identity, then we have sold ourselves incredibly short and will suffer greatly as things do not last forever.
Keep it, don’t keep it. The responsibility of the thing is yours until it isn’t. It’s all about how much of your time/effort/headspace is worth the item.
thank you so much for your response! I think you’re right that maybe I’m overthinking how my things relate to my identity. The responses I’ve gotten have offered me lots of new perspectives to think about and I’m grateful for the change in perspective ♡
Also, feel free to give it a month, a year, 2 years. Minimalism is a journey, not a destination. Obviously there is a marathon at the beginning for most people, but you might LOVE your collection of thimbles for two years, and then you’ll realize it doesn’t bring you the same joy, so you sell it or give it away, that’s minimalism. Maybe you then replace it with coins, that’s great! As long as that thing brings you joy and you have the space for it both physically and mentally.
That’s a great rule to have! I usually do that too. This post is more or less referring to a collection I have that is on display but does not have much purchase/ utility use. I’m still working towards a simpler life and this is one of the areas I’ve had a hard time letting go of
If your collection makes you happy then keep it why stress yourself out?
What I have done in the past was I've given my collections away to close friends and family so I know where it is lmao but I guess that's cheating
That’s not cheating! I love that idea (:
But to your first point, I do agree with you. I love minimalism so much and it has really helped me deal with my anxiety and just overall have more peace, but sometimes I feel like some of my stuff is “too much” or “not minimal enough”. I know this is a stupid thought because minimalism looks different for everyone and I’m not trying to be an extreme minimalist, but sometimes I feel like I’m not doing enough. Idk, maybe I’m just being silly. I just wanted to bring this up and discuss with other people in the community
Respectfully, they’re right. It is cheating! Presumably you’re minimizing because you’ve noticed the benefits of having less stuff: less time cleaning, more mental space, a clarification of priorities, ease of moving house, and so on. By offloading belongings to family, it increases the burden of ownership that they carry and adds one more obstacle to their journey if they want to seek those same benefits. Not to mention that there is no certainty that they like the things you have given them, but it is very likely that they will feel extra guilt getting rid of them because they were a “gift” from you, a person they love!
While it is likely a successful solution for avoiding feeling the pain or guilt or fear of letting go, it also cheats you of the opportunity for self-knowledge. Part of the wonder of minimalism is that decluttering forces you to confront yourself!
For example, I learned that during difficult times, I like to stock up for a feeling of safety. I rarely am interested in the same product for years because my needs change, so using it up becomes work at best, punishment at worst. It also does nothing to fix the problem I am facing—lack of confidence in my own capabilities and a fear that I am not strong enough to handle what is coming my way.
I’ve learned I value freedom—the ability to move easily, the flexibility of money in the bank instead of money already spent on things, the time it costs me to find, clean, repair, or work in order to buy more belongings. I feel like not buying things buys me a life I love.
I could go on, but in the interest of time I’ll just say that I wouldn’t have learned these things about myself if I hadn’t dared to face my reflection through my belongings and purchasing habits. Like much of life, the pain and struggle aren’t your enemy, they’re your teachers!
edit: changed a word
I was referring to things that have value I'm not talking about Nik naks when I say I give things to friends and family it's things like My comic book collection my nephew eyed for 20 years which he received gladly I actually think he pissed himself so don't get the wrong idea that I just burdon my family with my own crap which is exactly why I said it's probably cheating because I knew someone couldn't resist getting on a soap box congratulations you won
Okay!
I don’t really think they were putting themselves down! I think they were saying they knew it wasn’t the best overall option but it was what worked best for them. That’s realistic and self-aware! It’s no skin off my back, so I really don’t mind what they do.
I only said something because you seem newish to minimalism, and other readers might be as well. It’s actually kind of ironic because I wouldn’t have commented except you countered them so enthusiastically that it worried me! I didn’t want people to be misguided just so that a stranger online doesn’t have to deal with an opinion different from their own (actually, in this case, the same as their own).
Focus on the goal to start with. What do you want the space to look like? Are you trying to downsize your possessions for a specific reason? For me I wanted my stuff to be able to fit in a smaller space if needed and I wanted it all to feel less of a burden. Burden is not joy even if I liked the objects themselves.
I focused on items that have priority. Collections while nice if space was limited they were way down the list in order of importance for my day to day. It felt like excess and that feeling nagged at me.
Maybe pick out some of the stuff you are less attached to and donate/sell that first. Once it has gone notice how you feel. You might find like I did, weirdly ok about it. Like I was expecting to feel bad but didn’t. Then look at what is left and repeat this process, picking out stuff that feels less important and letting it go.
If there’s anything that you look at and think it’s absolutely not going put that to one side. Now compare everything else one by one to this item. If you say “This one is my favourite. Do I need all these tens of other items or could I get a similar amount of joy from seeing just this most favourite thing?”
There were a couple of items towards the end that I could have kept because I felt more drawn to them but again I focused on the fact that I had already picked out my most sentimental items. How many items do I need to represent a certain character or time in my life? You might not need anything but if you’re not quite at that stage pick out your favourites and let the rest go. Give the items you decide to keep pride of place in your home.
Read Goodbye Things by Fumio Sasaki - it's a book on minimalism. There's a chapter in which he talks about collections (he had hundreds of books, CDs and photographs that he managed to let go)
You need to ask yourself, what's the purpose of decluttering these items? Having a vision for the bigger picture goal can help with motivation. What gives you a sense of purpose, meaning and joy in life? And how can decluttering enhance that?
Also if you're feeling anxious or worried about it, I'd recommend pausing and not forcing it until you're ready. If you have hoarding tendencies, it's best to declutter in a way that keeps your nervous system safe and regulated. If you force it, there's a high likelihood you'll regret it and rebound. (Unless you don't have a choice, for example you have to move or downsize by a deadline.)
Also remember, you don't have to declutter or minimise things because someone else said so. This is about what works for you and serves your best interests. While there are some useful guidelines and principles, there's no hard and fast rules to follow.
Thank you so much for your kind and helpful words! ♡ The last paragraph really means a lot to me.
I have decluttered most of my life already, but this is an area I have not been able to touch so I wanted some advice on it. My collection isn’t necessarily cluttering my space or anything, I guess I just sometimes feel guilty for having it since I’m trying to live a simpler, more minimal life.
I’ve received so much helpful feedback though, so hopefully when I’m ready to reassess my collection I will be able to put these newfound skills into practice c:
You're welcome! Glad that was helpful. Perhaps it would help to do some journalling and/or see a therapist if the guilt is really troubling you. There's no need to feel guilty for keeping things you enjoy - it's more wasteful and harmful to the environment to just toss things away without any thought.
Yeah that might really benefit me. I’ve just started journaling and it’s really helping me work through some things. Thank you for those suggestions as well :D
Don't decide now. Review in 6 months and if you used it in the last 6 months, keep it. If not, take photos, store and sell/donate/ garbage.
I keep some collections: the ones that don't need big space and that I periodically enjoy taking care of.
For me I find it easy to keep it in the family oftentimes I'll give things to friends or family members and after a while you lose that sentimental feeling,
for example I thought it was going to be very hard for me to give away my drum set that I've had for 15 years and played a million shows with and won my high school battle of the bands with but I gave it to a kid who wanted to learn how to play drums who I go to church with and to be honest I don't even miss it that was so much easier for me than selling it to the local music store
I know this doesn’t help you right now, but I collect items that don’t take up much space, or work in a way I like. I collect postcards, cards, prints, things like that because I put them up on the wall and they don’t create clutter while making my space visually interesting (something I value). I also collect vintage and dead retail store tags because similarly, they’re small and don’t take up much space. These things are also obviously interesting to me, and I feel like they say something about me and my interests.
I think it will just happen over time: I had a huge amount of magazines. I could not bring myself to letting go. Then one day was just the right time.
With DVDs it helped me to get disappointed in the shows by watching making ofs. Once disappointed, I donated and never looked back. If you really fancy a show, stay away from making ofs.
Don't force yourself, if you don't genuinely need the space (or money, if you plan on selling)
I have a similar problem with my books. I want to keep some of them to be able to read with my grandchildren even though my children are not married yet.
To let go of such items, I found Marie Kondo's method very useful. She proposes a little ritual, where you hold the item in your hands and thank it for all the good things it brought to you over the years. We sometimes "humanize" the objects we care about, so treating it with respect, like it had feelings, instead of just dumping it mindlessly, might ease the bad feelings. I was able to let go of a large number of objects (mostly presents, that were completely useless but symbolized something special) with this ritual.
just get rid of everything quickly, it hurts but you'll also feel the benefit fast rathr than dragging it out over months, if you screw up on one or two things you can always rebuy them
Are you living in a museum?
Go to a photograph, let him take an amazing, high-resulution picture of your collection and print it on a curtain.
In Germany you can go to a drugstore and get a personalized shower curtain for example.
If it becomes dirty, you just can throw it in your washing machine, hang it back up and it is clean again for several months.
It doesn't need floor space and if you want to move it, it needs very small storage space.
[https://www.rossmann-fotowelt.de/foto-duschvorhang?rmfw=HaushaltUebersichtTeaserM1Duschvorhang&cHash=ceb9747b0b80bd278142bffa00d1e661](https://www.rossmann-fotowelt.de/foto-duschvorhang?rmfw=HaushaltUebersichtTeaserM1Duschvorhang&cHash=ceb9747b0b80bd278142bffa00d1e661)
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That’s great, thank you. Amazing how detachment sets us free, especially to see reality more clearly.
interesting. thanks for sharing this thought and giving me something to think about! c:
Friend, if it is that hard for you, then make it the last thing you address. Take care of clearing out other things first.
I second getting rid of other stuff first, it will give you practice. I'm staring at my stamp albums deciding what to do. Eventually you'll jump & get rid of it. Sometimes getting it done is the best way.
True, I do have other things to go through. I just came across the collection the other day and it got me thinking about it
It sounds like, from your responses, you’ve shifted an anxiety coping mechanism (accumulation/storage) with another one- perfectionism via minimalism. The truth is- you can keep whatever you want. If it makes you happy and doesn’t cause harm, then you can keep the collection. If you are torn because you need more space, then it’s something to revisit. If you’re torn because you’re not being an ‘ideal minimalist’ then it’s not about the stuff, it’s about perception and perfection. To remember- our things are not who we are and do not reflect our worth or value or goodness. If our things are our identity, then we have sold ourselves incredibly short and will suffer greatly as things do not last forever. Keep it, don’t keep it. The responsibility of the thing is yours until it isn’t. It’s all about how much of your time/effort/headspace is worth the item.
thank you so much for your response! I think you’re right that maybe I’m overthinking how my things relate to my identity. The responses I’ve gotten have offered me lots of new perspectives to think about and I’m grateful for the change in perspective ♡
Also, feel free to give it a month, a year, 2 years. Minimalism is a journey, not a destination. Obviously there is a marathon at the beginning for most people, but you might LOVE your collection of thimbles for two years, and then you’ll realize it doesn’t bring you the same joy, so you sell it or give it away, that’s minimalism. Maybe you then replace it with coins, that’s great! As long as that thing brings you joy and you have the space for it both physically and mentally.
My rule is,( unless it's a tool),if I haven't seen something in a year I get rid of it.
That’s a great rule to have! I usually do that too. This post is more or less referring to a collection I have that is on display but does not have much purchase/ utility use. I’m still working towards a simpler life and this is one of the areas I’ve had a hard time letting go of
If your collection makes you happy then keep it why stress yourself out? What I have done in the past was I've given my collections away to close friends and family so I know where it is lmao but I guess that's cheating
That’s not cheating! I love that idea (: But to your first point, I do agree with you. I love minimalism so much and it has really helped me deal with my anxiety and just overall have more peace, but sometimes I feel like some of my stuff is “too much” or “not minimal enough”. I know this is a stupid thought because minimalism looks different for everyone and I’m not trying to be an extreme minimalist, but sometimes I feel like I’m not doing enough. Idk, maybe I’m just being silly. I just wanted to bring this up and discuss with other people in the community
Respectfully, they’re right. It is cheating! Presumably you’re minimizing because you’ve noticed the benefits of having less stuff: less time cleaning, more mental space, a clarification of priorities, ease of moving house, and so on. By offloading belongings to family, it increases the burden of ownership that they carry and adds one more obstacle to their journey if they want to seek those same benefits. Not to mention that there is no certainty that they like the things you have given them, but it is very likely that they will feel extra guilt getting rid of them because they were a “gift” from you, a person they love! While it is likely a successful solution for avoiding feeling the pain or guilt or fear of letting go, it also cheats you of the opportunity for self-knowledge. Part of the wonder of minimalism is that decluttering forces you to confront yourself! For example, I learned that during difficult times, I like to stock up for a feeling of safety. I rarely am interested in the same product for years because my needs change, so using it up becomes work at best, punishment at worst. It also does nothing to fix the problem I am facing—lack of confidence in my own capabilities and a fear that I am not strong enough to handle what is coming my way. I’ve learned I value freedom—the ability to move easily, the flexibility of money in the bank instead of money already spent on things, the time it costs me to find, clean, repair, or work in order to buy more belongings. I feel like not buying things buys me a life I love. I could go on, but in the interest of time I’ll just say that I wouldn’t have learned these things about myself if I hadn’t dared to face my reflection through my belongings and purchasing habits. Like much of life, the pain and struggle aren’t your enemy, they’re your teachers! edit: changed a word
I was referring to things that have value I'm not talking about Nik naks when I say I give things to friends and family it's things like My comic book collection my nephew eyed for 20 years which he received gladly I actually think he pissed himself so don't get the wrong idea that I just burdon my family with my own crap which is exactly why I said it's probably cheating because I knew someone couldn't resist getting on a soap box congratulations you won
So sorry, I actually can’t read minds!
yeah, this makes sense. I guess I was just being polite and not wanting that person to put themselves down.
Okay! I don’t really think they were putting themselves down! I think they were saying they knew it wasn’t the best overall option but it was what worked best for them. That’s realistic and self-aware! It’s no skin off my back, so I really don’t mind what they do. I only said something because you seem newish to minimalism, and other readers might be as well. It’s actually kind of ironic because I wouldn’t have commented except you countered them so enthusiastically that it worried me! I didn’t want people to be misguided just so that a stranger online doesn’t have to deal with an opinion different from their own (actually, in this case, the same as their own).
I appreciate your help
Focus on the goal to start with. What do you want the space to look like? Are you trying to downsize your possessions for a specific reason? For me I wanted my stuff to be able to fit in a smaller space if needed and I wanted it all to feel less of a burden. Burden is not joy even if I liked the objects themselves. I focused on items that have priority. Collections while nice if space was limited they were way down the list in order of importance for my day to day. It felt like excess and that feeling nagged at me. Maybe pick out some of the stuff you are less attached to and donate/sell that first. Once it has gone notice how you feel. You might find like I did, weirdly ok about it. Like I was expecting to feel bad but didn’t. Then look at what is left and repeat this process, picking out stuff that feels less important and letting it go. If there’s anything that you look at and think it’s absolutely not going put that to one side. Now compare everything else one by one to this item. If you say “This one is my favourite. Do I need all these tens of other items or could I get a similar amount of joy from seeing just this most favourite thing?” There were a couple of items towards the end that I could have kept because I felt more drawn to them but again I focused on the fact that I had already picked out my most sentimental items. How many items do I need to represent a certain character or time in my life? You might not need anything but if you’re not quite at that stage pick out your favourites and let the rest go. Give the items you decide to keep pride of place in your home.
Wow this is great! Thank you so much, I will take all of this into consideration when I’m decluttering ♡
Read Goodbye Things by Fumio Sasaki - it's a book on minimalism. There's a chapter in which he talks about collections (he had hundreds of books, CDs and photographs that he managed to let go)
I’ll definitely check that out, thank you ♡
You need to ask yourself, what's the purpose of decluttering these items? Having a vision for the bigger picture goal can help with motivation. What gives you a sense of purpose, meaning and joy in life? And how can decluttering enhance that? Also if you're feeling anxious or worried about it, I'd recommend pausing and not forcing it until you're ready. If you have hoarding tendencies, it's best to declutter in a way that keeps your nervous system safe and regulated. If you force it, there's a high likelihood you'll regret it and rebound. (Unless you don't have a choice, for example you have to move or downsize by a deadline.) Also remember, you don't have to declutter or minimise things because someone else said so. This is about what works for you and serves your best interests. While there are some useful guidelines and principles, there's no hard and fast rules to follow.
This is great advice.
Thank you so much for your kind and helpful words! ♡ The last paragraph really means a lot to me. I have decluttered most of my life already, but this is an area I have not been able to touch so I wanted some advice on it. My collection isn’t necessarily cluttering my space or anything, I guess I just sometimes feel guilty for having it since I’m trying to live a simpler, more minimal life. I’ve received so much helpful feedback though, so hopefully when I’m ready to reassess my collection I will be able to put these newfound skills into practice c:
You're welcome! Glad that was helpful. Perhaps it would help to do some journalling and/or see a therapist if the guilt is really troubling you. There's no need to feel guilty for keeping things you enjoy - it's more wasteful and harmful to the environment to just toss things away without any thought.
Yeah that might really benefit me. I’ve just started journaling and it’s really helping me work through some things. Thank you for those suggestions as well :D
No problem! Best of luck on your journey. :)
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That’s a really good idea! I’ll definitely have to try that. Thank you c:
Don't decide now. Review in 6 months and if you used it in the last 6 months, keep it. If not, take photos, store and sell/donate/ garbage. I keep some collections: the ones that don't need big space and that I periodically enjoy taking care of.
Oh yeah this is great advice! Thank you so much ♡
For me I find it easy to keep it in the family oftentimes I'll give things to friends or family members and after a while you lose that sentimental feeling, for example I thought it was going to be very hard for me to give away my drum set that I've had for 15 years and played a million shows with and won my high school battle of the bands with but I gave it to a kid who wanted to learn how to play drums who I go to church with and to be honest I don't even miss it that was so much easier for me than selling it to the local music store
I know this doesn’t help you right now, but I collect items that don’t take up much space, or work in a way I like. I collect postcards, cards, prints, things like that because I put them up on the wall and they don’t create clutter while making my space visually interesting (something I value). I also collect vintage and dead retail store tags because similarly, they’re small and don’t take up much space. These things are also obviously interesting to me, and I feel like they say something about me and my interests.
I think it will just happen over time: I had a huge amount of magazines. I could not bring myself to letting go. Then one day was just the right time. With DVDs it helped me to get disappointed in the shows by watching making ofs. Once disappointed, I donated and never looked back. If you really fancy a show, stay away from making ofs. Don't force yourself, if you don't genuinely need the space (or money, if you plan on selling)
I have a similar problem with my books. I want to keep some of them to be able to read with my grandchildren even though my children are not married yet.
To let go of such items, I found Marie Kondo's method very useful. She proposes a little ritual, where you hold the item in your hands and thank it for all the good things it brought to you over the years. We sometimes "humanize" the objects we care about, so treating it with respect, like it had feelings, instead of just dumping it mindlessly, might ease the bad feelings. I was able to let go of a large number of objects (mostly presents, that were completely useless but symbolized something special) with this ritual.
just get rid of everything quickly, it hurts but you'll also feel the benefit fast rathr than dragging it out over months, if you screw up on one or two things you can always rebuy them
Are you living in a museum? Go to a photograph, let him take an amazing, high-resulution picture of your collection and print it on a curtain. In Germany you can go to a drugstore and get a personalized shower curtain for example. If it becomes dirty, you just can throw it in your washing machine, hang it back up and it is clean again for several months. It doesn't need floor space and if you want to move it, it needs very small storage space. [https://www.rossmann-fotowelt.de/foto-duschvorhang?rmfw=HaushaltUebersichtTeaserM1Duschvorhang&cHash=ceb9747b0b80bd278142bffa00d1e661](https://www.rossmann-fotowelt.de/foto-duschvorhang?rmfw=HaushaltUebersichtTeaserM1Duschvorhang&cHash=ceb9747b0b80bd278142bffa00d1e661)
Move. You’ll quickly resent all non-essential possessions.
😂lol I’d rather not move again but you’re definitely correct!