Healthy Magazine

JUNK CREEP

John A. Anderson
Written by John A. Anderson – Editor in Chief

We tend to accumulate a lot of unnecessary stuff over time.  Toss it, already!

John Mayer’s song ‘1983’ is awesome for a few reasons, but the end lyrics are thought provoking: “Whatever happened to my lunchbox? When came the day that it was thrown away? Seems I should have had a say, in that decision.”

Aside from my 300+ vinyl albums collection that my mom sold for $25 total in a garage sale after I had moved out—I’m still not over that one—it’s obvious that we tend to accumulate stuff.   Shopping is not just for necessities, it’s quite the pastime, and some even call it retail-therapy, so unless you have a process for culling the clutter, it’s going to sneak up on you. And, when you finally get around to it, you face a tough, sometimes emotional task. Even if you don’t consider yourself to be a classic hoarder, ridding yourself of junk creep can involve a lot of mental toughness, resolve, and simply letting the past go.

If you’re not up to tackling it all in one massive effort, it may be best to start slowly with a consistent plan of tossing one item away per day. Stick to that for a month, and you essentially get rid of 30 things you don’t need. And, to be clear, “tossing” may mean trash, but in many cases, it could/should mean tossing it into a box in the garage to be donated or recycled.

Try these genius tips and quell the junk creep

15-Minutes A Day. Take 15 minutes every day to clean and organize. That may mean straightening  drawers, hanging clothes, dusting the bedroom, filing bills and receipts, and trashing trash. 15 minutes will perform wonders.  Try it for a month.

Joy or Junk?  Ask yourself if something brings you joy.  If it does, put it in a proper place. If not, toss it. Just because Mom gave you that sweater 5 years ago doesn’t mean you need to keep it. Simply be honest about whether things fit or whether you will really ever wear something again. Hold it up, ask if it brings you joy. If not, thank it for it’s ‘service’ and toss it in the donations box. You’ll feel free, and perhaps another will love it.

Sell it. Can you make some coin by selling old, functional appliances or furniture? If you think so, try it out on Ebay or some other local classifieds. Who knows? Of course, you can always organize a yard sale. This works well if you combine it with other neighbors.

Go Digital. Scan receipts and other key documents, including birth certificates, warranties, loans, etc. Cyberspace storage takes up so little room in your home! File away the important document stuff, and shred the rest.

Magazine Mayhem. Most magazines stack up pretty quickly. Whether you read them or not, your not likely to use them again. Keep a folder of favorite clippings, and recycle the rest.

Systemize. Establish a system to manage junk creep moving forward. Learn to quickly ditch useless items and things you know you don’t love. Have a donation box handy and fill it regularly. Every time you buy a new item, get rid of an old one. For mail, create a sorting system of “to do, to read, to file, to shred.”

And, if you really need help getting organized, consider hiring a pro-organizer. They will cost a bit, but pressing the organizing reset button may be worth it.  Go to the National Association of Professional Organizers website – www.napo.net – to find a person in your area. There are specialists in every field, from garages to computers.

Our friends at PopSugar.com have compiled a fairly useful list of 116 types of items that will take you about four months to dispose of:

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