Organize Basement by Clearing Emotional Clutter
Highland Park Basement Organized
A recent WSJ article entitled “A Diagnosis of Your Clutter” explores the relationship between our belongings and our emotions. “(T)he things we accumulate reflect some our deepest thoughts and feelings”.
The article goes on to say:
Now there’s a growing recognition among professional organizers that to
come to grips with their clutter, clients need to understand why they save
what they save, or things will inevitably pile up again.
Our experience as professional organizers in Glenview, IL mirrors this national trend. We recognize that it is difficult for clients to examine and get rid of clutter if they have an emotional attachment to it. Our job involves helping them explore their feelings as well as their possessions.
This was the case for a client who lives near Highland Park, IL. Her basement was cluttered with things she did not need but was loath to part with. But the disorganization stood in the way of using the basement for recreation and entertainment.
Organizing the Basement by Clearing Emotional Clutter
Because it is essential to declutter before organizing, we asked, “Do you love this or do you use this?” about each her belongings. Almost always, her answer was no. Further discussions revealed her reasoning for holding onto the items piled up on the basement floor. They fell into three general categories:
- “I might use this someday.”
- “This reminds me of a person or event that was important to me.”
- “This will be worth money if I hold onto it long enough.”
As we addressed each of these reasons, our client was able to separate her things from the emotions associated with them. For example, the basement shelves held many new cooking utensils and appliances still in their boxes. She had to give up the idea that she was going to become a pro chef and to let go of the guilt of buying so much equipment. Through our extensive resource list, we helped her find a worthwhile charity that would take her donations. She felt better knowing that others would be using these supplies.
Keepsakes were more difficult to part with because of their sentimental value. We explained that letting go of a broken tea set did not mean letting go of the memories associated with it. That said, we helped choose and pack away the things that meant the most to her; they are now organized and protected in several large plastic containers perfect for basement storage. We took photos of others for a keepsake album before discarding them.
The basement was also cluttered with furniture and collections that the client felt might have value now or in the long term. Through Internet research and several visits by appraisers, she was able to determine the worth of these items. Some she sold to dealers, some in a “basement-yard sale” and others were donated.
The final step of restoring order to the basement was organizing what was left, a straightforward project now that there was enough room. The result was a space that was comfortable and usable.
As one professional organizer noted in the article, “(People) can learn many new decision-making skills that can make decluttering easier.”
Read more about how MOREganized can organize and declutter your basement. Or to get started now, please call 847-767-6673, or contact us.
