Every year I practice dostadning which is also known as Swedish death cleaning.
Of course, I'm not doing it because I am dying (that I know of) or that I think I'm going to die soon, but clutter makes me anxious. I am the opposite of a hoarder.
D often worries this time of year that, when I'm on one of my tears, I might throw him and the children out.
With this being my natural tendency when the whole Marie Kondo trend came along, it was easy for me to do her version because I have long asked myself questions like, "Do I love this item?" and "Do I actually use this item?"
Last week, I cleaned out nearly every room in the house. The storage closet. The furnace room. The litter box room.
I made one huge run to Goodwill and have my trunk full of other items that I've cleaned out from the garage. I threw away small grocery bags full of junk and cut tons of boxes into small pieces to recycle.
As much work as this has been, it has occurred to me that our level of stuff is minimal compared to others considering that neither I nor D like to shop and I am habitual about sorting, donating, and dostadning(ing). Plus, for years I have consigned the kids' toys and old clothes as a way to clean out and make a little money to pay for their seasonal needs.
Of course, as soon as I did all this cleaning, I was gifted some items that are thoughtful but that I have no need for (like another coffee mug).
[Which reminds me that I haven't cleaned out the mug cabinet....]
It seems to me like 2020 is a good year to clean out clutter....whether that be in one's house or in one's mind or in one's priorities. There's nothing like a global pandemic to help a person put everything into perspective.
This was one of the reasons I unfriended a hefty dose of individuals on social media. Because they caused me aggravation and unhappiness. They didn't spark joy for me, and I honestly don't have a relationship with them anyway. Just because they are a neighbor or a parent of a kid my kid used to play with ages ago doesn't mean I actually need to be "friends" (however loose that word is when it comes to social media).
If there is something or someone you don't love, don't need, or doesn't have much meaning to you, 2020 is probably all the excuse you need to clean it/them out.
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