Moving into a new space often comes with rethinking how you want to live. It’s the perfect opportunity to create a fresh start and let go of items that don’t align with your new lifestyle, whether you’re committed to greener living, wellness goals, or just looking for some peace.
Letting go of things can clear both physical and emotional space for the new life you’re creating. But it’s not always easy. Sentimental attachments can make it hard to let go, but sometimes it’s necessary for healing. For example, it’s fine to keep treasured family heirlooms, but worn out furniture from your old life needs to go.
If you’re planning a move and need to downsize, here are some tips for letting go of what doesn’t match the new life you’re building.
Get clear on your new life’s blueprint
Before deciding what to keep or ditch, think about the life you’re building. What are your core values? How do you want your daily life to look? Do you want to spend more time outside with fewer distractions to keep you indoors? If so, maybe it’s time to trade your Lego collection for a mountain bike. If you’re aiming to spend more time gardening and learning new crafts, you probably don’t need those extra TVs. And if you’re trading solo camping trips for hiking and biking, maybe it’s time to rethink what gear you keep.
Consider how you’ll be spending your time
If you’re moving into a new apartment in an area with an active community, you’ll be meeting new people and forming new bonds. That’s a great reason to let go of the past. For example, if you’re moving to a historic city, like Casa Ybor in Florida, you’ll be too busy exploring the area to spend time with your sentimental items. After a while, you probably won’t even remember what’s in your boxes.
Consider what you want your space to look like
If you’re struggling to downsize, it helps to remind yourself that less stuff will mean less clutter. The more you hang onto, the more stuff you’ll have lying around your house. Even if it’s tucked away in boxes in the closet, it’s still there and taking up space.
If you value space over stuff, and you don’t want to be surrounded by clutter, use that as motivation to whittle down your belongings as much as possible. Go through everything you own and sell, donate, or toss anything that doesn’t serve a purpose. If it’s practical, but you haven’t used it in years (like that new shovel or case of WD-40), get rid of it – you can always get more later when you actually need it.
Replace items instead of moving them
Sometimes it’s just smarter (and cheaper) to buy certain things new where you’re going. Put your minimalist hat on for a short time and think about what’s easier to replace than to pack, move, and unpack when you get to your destination. For example, if you’re moving from a snowy climate to a warm climate that barely reaches below 50F in winter, donate or sell your heavy winter gear. If you do end up in a freezing climate again, you can purchase new winter gear.
Get new bedding
When you move, it’s a nice feeling to get all new bedding, including sheets, blankets, pillows, and comforters. When you refresh your bedding, you’ll have an easier time letting go of linens you might be attached to because you’ll have new linens that match the lifestyle you’re building.
Rethink sentimentality
Many people form sentimental attachments to just about everything, and it’s hard to throw things away when they’re tied to memories. But you can’t keep collecting stuff forever. At some point, you’ll need to downsize your collection of sentimental things.
Instead of storing bins full of sentimental items that you never look at, choose a few things to keep and let go of the rest. Limit yourself to a single “memory box.” Do you really need to keep all of your parents’ yearbooks? Probably not. Take photos of the meaningful pages and sell the books on eBay. Letting go of sentimental items doesn’t erase the memory – it honors your growth.
Declutter your past to make room for your future
Decluttering is about more than just getting rid of “junk” – it’s clearing the past and removing things from your life that no longer serve a purpose.
Letting go of stuff clears the way for something new and helps you build your new life.
