Hola,
Welcome back to day 12.
Thank you for being here.
In the last session,
You learned two methods to help you declutter and organize your home by Julie Morgenstern and Marie Kondo.
Today we are going to explore the deep connection between you and your belongings.
There is a very deep physical,
Emotional,
And energetic connection with all the things that surround you in your home,
Especially items that are emotional,
Like mementos and inheritances from loved ones.
Your mood and mental health can be very affected by your belongings.
Understanding this relationship can help you declutter and organize your spaces with more confidence and create a home environment that supports the person that you want to become.
One of the things that people encounter when they go through the decluttering process is that they have a really hard time letting go of things,
Especially if they have sentimental attachments to them.
That's why I want to share with you 12 questions to ask when letting go of emotional items.
I invite you to get comfortable,
Close your eyes if you can,
Take a couple of deep breaths,
And enjoy.
Now I want you to think about an emotional item that you have a hard time letting go,
Even if you know that this item is no longer serving you or the new lifestyle that you want to have.
Connect with the emotions that arise in you when confronting this item.
What are you feeling?
Maybe you feel sadness because this item belonged to a loved one and letting this item go feels like you are letting go of the person you loved and all of the memories attached to it.
Maybe you feel guilty because you spent money in that item and you didn't use it.
Maybe someone gave you this item as a gift and it feels wrong to let it go.
You may upset the person who gifted that item to you.
Whatever emotions and feelings arise,
Please let them be.
Understand why they are showing up and the beliefs that are behind them.
Question them with curiosity and an open mind.
Remember that you don't have to let this item go if you like it,
If you want it,
And if you have space for it.
Now I'm going to share with you 12 questions to help you let go of emotional items.
Listen carefully to every question and observe how you feel and how your body reacts to each one.
Focus your attention in a specific item that you are having a hard time letting go even though you know it no longer serves you and deep inside you don't want it.
These are the questions.
Do I need it or just want it?
Does this item match my goals?
Do I want to create a home for it?
Is it easy to find another one?
Can I manage without it?
Do I love it?
Are the time and storage costs worth it?
Am I keeping it because of guilt?
Is there anyone who may need it?
Will a picture of it not meet my need for it?
Am I keeping it to avoid something emotional?
Do I have more than one of it?
Answering these questions will make the decision making so much easier and faster.
If a strong emotion showed up after a specific question,
Take some time to think about it and become aware of why that emotion is there.
Mementos is another category that many have a hard time parting with.
Many times people collect a lot of mementos and they don't want to keep so many,
But they can't let them go.
Some other ideas on how to deal with mementos are Ask yourself the same questions we just did and see how you react.
Create a healthy limit on how much space you are willing to dedicate to store mementos and then prioritize what you are keeping in that space.
If you really love them,
Maybe you should try to display as many as you can so that you can see them regularly.
This is the best way to honor that memento.
If you don't have enough space to display them all at once,
You can display some now and rotate them every few weeks or months.
You can do the same idea with art and pictures too.
Another emotional category that many face are inherited items from loved ones.
I have worked with many people who had a huge clutter problem due to a big inheritance.
They received a big volume of stuff coming from parents that downsized and didn't want to let go of their belongings.
Now the children are having to store them,
Deal with them,
And feel guilty about any decision they may make.
Some ideas to deal with inheritance in a healthy way are Be proactive and talk about inheritance plans before a crisis occurs.
Clear communication between parents and children to decide who is interested in their things.
Parents can ask their children and decide who keeps what.
There can be an ongoing document that is shared with all the family members interested.
You can also use masking tape with the name of the person interested and putting it on the specific item.
You can include specific instructions in their will too.
If you are not interested in anything,
Let them know and invite them to do other arrangements.
They could hold an auction,
Sell the items,
Consign them,
Or donate them.
Many times the parents have unrealistic expectations about their belongings.
They love them and they feel they are worth way more than they actually are,
And they may pressure their children to keep these things in the family.
A polite and respectful NO may be necessary in order to avoid a huge clutter problem coming your way.
You may encounter emotional items at any time during your decluttering journey.
It's normal.
I hope this session gave you some tools and strategies to help you deal with these emotional items.
If you have a specific question about your own situation,
Please don't hesitate to share it in the course classroom,
And I will try my best to support you.
If you want a copy of the 12 questions,
Please let me know.
Thank you so much for finishing this session.
I am looking forward to being with you in the next session,
Where you are going to learn how to give your unwanted items a new life.
Until then,
I hope you have an amazing rest of your day.
Adios!
