Sometimes letting go of sentimental stuff is hard. In this post I’m going to share with you why it’s hard to let go and what you can do about it. Keep reading!
When I was in fifth grade, my teacher gave me an ivory-colored stuffed teddy bear. It was wearing a green dress with white lace around the bottom.
The thought of getting rid of that bear when I got older made me feel so guilty. This teacher took the time to go out and purchase a teddy bear just for me. She spent her time and money on me.
And it was more than just the time and money; it was the fact that she thought and cared enough about me to do something so special.
I could never let go of that teddy bear, even though it just sat on my bed and later stored in my closet. When I moved out the bear came with me and now my daughter has the bear sitting on her shelf.
Why do we have the hardest time letting go of sentimental stuff?
Why letting go of sentimental stuff is hard to do
Emotionally attached: Sometimes your emotions take over and you start feeling attached to your stuff. When you think of the items you have that you have an emotional attachment to, they often represent an important relationship, accomplishment, or experience. However, holding on to the stuff might actually be keeping you from having new relationships, accomplishments, and experiences.
Guilt: Oftentimes, guilt gets in the way of letting go of sentimental stuff (as in the case with my teddy bear). Perhaps someone has given you a family heirloom and you feel obligated to keep it. Maybe you were given a gift from a friend that you feel guilty for getting rid of. You may also feel guilty about getting rid of something because of how much money you spent on it or because the item is still in perfectly good useable condition.
Representing the past: It is so easy to hold on to stuff from your past life. For example, I have a lot of craft items stored away that haven’t been touched in years. Maybe you used to have a hobby that you loved in the past but haven’t enjoyed it for years. Chances are you’re not going to pick it up again.
Waiting for “someday” More than likely “someday” has been dragging on for years and it’s not ever going to come. Don’t hold on to things just because you think you’ll pick it up again one day.
How to let it go
Acknowledge what’s worth holding on to While going through your items, ask yourself what exactly it is that you’re sentimental about. More than likely it’s not the object itself, but the person, time, or place it’s associated with. The memory will still be there even without the object, but if you just cannot part with the object, then there’s nothing wrong with keeping it.
Save an item virtually Documents and photos can be scanned and backed up as long as you don’t need the originals. Toys do not need to be saved, either as long as you have photos of your kids playing with them. Or consider making a photo book to keep memories in.
Donate notable items Do your research before you get rid of documents or photos that you received after the death of a loved one. Depending on who they were and where they live, the documents valuable to a local history museum.
Pass it on Consider handing over unwanted family heirlooms to another relative because they might be happy to keep it in the family. Also, it might just be something they’ve always wanted.
Put it in a box After the death of a loved one, put their things in boxes marked with question marks and save them to sort through after grieving. Give yourself at least 6 months or longer before sorting through the box.
Tell its story Grab a friend to help with sorting through things. Sometimes it helps just to tell someone the story behind the item and it may also help let it go.
Keep in mind that all the stuff doesn’t define who you are. Pass things along that you no longer need and hold onto the memories. It’s time to start a new chapter.
And remember: you can’t take it with you when you die.
What’s something you’re holding onto that your’re finding hard to let go of?
Michelle lives on a small homestead with her husband, daughter, 6 silly hens, 1 crazy rooster, 2 lazy cats, and 1 rescue dog. She loves DIYs, frugal living, crocheting, and reading. She's also a full-time proofreader.
Michelle, this is such a helpful post. And I love that the bear belongs to your daughter now, as a reminder that kindness and thoughtfulness are always worth remembering. ♥
Thank you! I'm glad you found it helpful! It's hard to let go sometimes. :)
I love this post! I have a huge bin of old pictures that I keep procrastinating about sorting through. Thanks for the nudge to just do it already !! :)
Thank you! I'm so glad it gave you motivation to go through your old photos! :)
Oh wow, plenty! I only just managed to sell an old laptop that’s in good working order and I know now is getting good use. I gave it a hug and thanked it for the use it gave me. Still wanted to cry though ?
I understand how hard it is! It's good that it's got a new home to someone else who needed it, but it's hard to let go of something you've had for so long.
As I've gotten older, and now we have our own home, and having to store it here instead of at parents houses, I have learn to cut down, but also organise a bit better so I can actually see what I have. I am a bit of a hoarder at times as well, but thank you for the post, I'll have to come back to this next time I'm having a clear out :) xxx
I know what you mean about having to downsize. It's hard to do but when you don't have enough space sometimes it's a must. :)
I totally agree but you do have to be careful. I got rid of a lot and in doing so have regrets. I am not and have never been a hoarder but sometimes we need too think carefully.
I completely agree with you. I think that's why it makes it so hard to clean some stuff out because you just never know sometimes.
Great advise here, I used to hold on to things more than I do now, I think it was sentimental out of guilt, but over the years I've decluttered and every time I give away something it just helps me to give away something more. Thanks Michelle great read.
Thank you! I think I was holding on to a lot because of guilt, too, which can make it even harder to get rid of something. Once you start giving stuff away it becomes easier over time. :) I hope you have a wonderful day!
Love, love, love this!!! I used to be horrible about keeping everything!!! But in the past 6 years or so I’ve done some serious purging!! A lot of the times with the kids artwork I’ll have them stand holding the paper and then I take a picture and then we toss the artwork, the kids are fine with it..same with a few of my own larger sentimental items...Right now I have a coffee table that I really want to get rid of because it’s not my style, it was my grandmas, then my moms and now mine and I just haven’t made the leap yet?
That's a great idea to take a picture of the kids holding their artwork and then not keeping the actual work itself! I completely understand about the coffee table. I have a rocking chair that my mom rocked my brother in when he was a baby. It has a crazy story behind it and I just can't bear to part with it! One day when I have extra time I plan to fix it up and paint it and hopefully it'll get many more years out of it. :)
Oh good, that’s awesome!! If you end up fixing it up you’ll have to share Before and after pictures with us?
I will! :D
Michelle you are really organizing your home. I have a drawer full of photos I need to organize.
I have a ton of photos that need to be organized, too. I just haven't gotten that far yet. :D
This is a tough one... I’m glad I have held onto some things. But narrowing down a few pieces of my kids art work to just a few drawings out of hundreds... was a smart move on my part! They are in their 30’s now and I have more treasures from them!
I agree! Holding on to some things is a must for me, too. And it can be hard to let go of certain things, especially when it comes to the stuff our kids made. :)
You are so inspiring. I’ve straightened up my closet and organized it. I had things stored under the bed, but realized I don’t need them anymore and at some point I’ve got to go through the family pictures. I already gave some photos to my youngest daughter to take home. That will be the hardest. I still have a few items my kids made me for Mother’s Day a hundred years ago. Can’t part with that. It’s not much anyway. I still have ornaments they made over the years stored in the attic with my 27 year old Christmas tree. It gets put up every year. Sentimental or mental. You call it. ?
It is very hard to let go of some things, and I think it's fine to hold onto those. I can't bear to part with things my kids made or some things that belonged to my grandparents. I have some things put away and others are sitting around the house. I can't call it mental because I do the same things! :D
Same here. I have things from my mom, grandmother, aunt and others that I keep. Most of them are out as tiny reminders as they are all in Heaven now. You have inspired me to part with things that fall under “just stuff”. It will take me years to get rid of years of crap. ?
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Michelle, this is such a helpful post. And I love that the bear belongs to your daughter now, as a reminder that kindness and thoughtfulness are always worth remembering. ♥
Thank you! I'm glad you found it helpful! It's hard to let go sometimes. :)
I love this post! I have a huge bin of old pictures that I keep procrastinating about sorting through. Thanks for the nudge to just do it already !! :)
Thank you! I'm so glad it gave you motivation to go through your old photos! :)
Oh wow, plenty! I only just managed to sell an old laptop that’s in good working order and I know now is getting good use. I gave it a hug and thanked it for the use it gave me. Still wanted to cry though ?
I understand how hard it is! It's good that it's got a new home to someone else who needed it, but it's hard to let go of something you've had for so long.
As I've gotten older, and now we have our own home, and having to store it here instead of at parents houses, I have learn to cut down, but also organise a bit better so I can actually see what I have. I am a bit of a hoarder at times as well, but thank you for the post, I'll have to come back to this next time I'm having a clear out :) xxx
I know what you mean about having to downsize. It's hard to do but when you don't have enough space sometimes it's a must. :)
I totally agree but you do have to be careful. I got rid of a lot and in doing so have regrets. I am not and have never been a hoarder but sometimes we need too think carefully.
I completely agree with you. I think that's why it makes it so hard to clean some stuff out because you just never know sometimes.
Great advise here, I used to hold on to things more than I do now, I think it was sentimental out of guilt, but over the years I've decluttered and every time I give away something it just helps me to give away something more. Thanks Michelle great read.
Thank you! I think I was holding on to a lot because of guilt, too, which can make it even harder to get rid of something. Once you start giving stuff away it becomes easier over time. :) I hope you have a wonderful day!
Love, love, love this!!! I used to be horrible about keeping everything!!! But in the past 6 years or so I’ve done some serious purging!! A lot of the times with the kids artwork I’ll have them stand holding the paper and then I take a picture and then we toss the artwork, the kids are fine with it..same with a few of my own larger sentimental items...Right now I have a coffee table that I really want to get rid of because it’s not my style, it was my grandmas, then my moms and now mine and I just haven’t made the leap yet?
That's a great idea to take a picture of the kids holding their artwork and then not keeping the actual work itself! I completely understand about the coffee table. I have a rocking chair that my mom rocked my brother in when he was a baby. It has a crazy story behind it and I just can't bear to part with it! One day when I have extra time I plan to fix it up and paint it and hopefully it'll get many more years out of it. :)
Oh good, that’s awesome!! If you end up fixing it up you’ll have to share Before and after pictures with us?
I will! :D
Michelle you are really organizing your home. I have a drawer full of photos I need to organize.
I have a ton of photos that need to be organized, too. I just haven't gotten that far yet. :D
This is a tough one... I’m glad I have held onto some things. But narrowing down a few pieces of my kids art work to just a few drawings out of hundreds... was a smart move on my part! They are in their 30’s now and I have more treasures from them!
I agree! Holding on to some things is a must for me, too. And it can be hard to let go of certain things, especially when it comes to the stuff our kids made. :)
You are so inspiring. I’ve straightened up my closet and organized it. I had things stored under the bed, but realized I don’t need them anymore and at some point I’ve got to go through the family pictures. I already gave some photos to my youngest daughter to take home. That will be the hardest. I still have a few items my kids made me for Mother’s Day a hundred years ago. Can’t part with that. It’s not much anyway. I still have ornaments they made over the years stored in the attic with my 27 year old Christmas tree. It gets put up every year. Sentimental or mental. You call it. ?
It is very hard to let go of some things, and I think it's fine to hold onto those. I can't bear to part with things my kids made or some things that belonged to my grandparents. I have some things put away and others are sitting around the house. I can't call it mental because I do the same things! :D
Same here. I have things from my mom, grandmother, aunt and others that I keep. Most of them are out as tiny reminders as they are all in Heaven now. You have inspired me to part with things that fall under “just stuff”. It will take me years to get rid of years of crap. ?