Finding yourself reminiscing over memories made in 2021?
The New Year is always a perfect time to look at old photos and gifts and retell stories of the year gone by. Reminiscing helps us to discover how we have grown so far, what is important to us and which memories we want to keep forever. Preparing ourselves for a new magical year to come.
Many cultures’ new year’s traditions center on letting go of the old to make way for the new. Whether that be the Irish tradition of opening the front and back door to let the old year out and New Year in or the Chinese tradition of cleaning the house, many traditions embrace an intensive top to bottom detox to clear out the old year. Ultimately, the new year is a universal turning point, waking us up to make space for the creation of new memories from the next chapter of our lives.
However, creating space is no easy task. Adapting to smaller living or working spaces with fewer home and/or office storage options can be challenging. But do not worry, we got your back. The new year should be an ultimately relaxing experience, so here are some easy questions to get yourself up and going.
How can we best hold onto the valuable objects of the past while creating space for new ones?
“Objects from our past are catalysts for nostalgia; they allow us to hold onto the joy of the past by triggering memories easily forgotten when we are engulfed by the present”.
The answer to this question possibly lies in your answers to the following five questions, which will make your New Year’s resolution to tidy up, make space and get ready much more effortless.
How often do you use an item?
Considering how often we use an item is the most essential indicator for whether we should keep it in our living or working space or put it into storage.
Some things are an invaluable part of our daily living. Electrical appliances and dishwasher tablets may not be glamorous, but they help us get through the week. We need them in our homes. Other objects are less noticeable. Allowing ourselves to feel the usefulness of things also will enable us to construct our own space and be ready for the future.
Is it essential?
Some items are essentials, but we don’t use them often, largely important documents and files. These things should keep a place in your home. This can be an opportunity to work with space and give life to your filing system. Old magazines, unused furniture and exercise equipment, and the like should be stored. Everything you haven’t used in three months should go in your cellar or attic. If you haven’t one of these, opt for on-demand or self-storage.
Is it a seasonal item?
We don’t use seasonal items regularly enough to have them around us year-round. Are your summer dresses stacked away in some lonely corner? You don’t need to throw them out only to end up replacing them later: put them in a box and store them. When the time is ripe for a blissful summer adventure, you can bring them back into your space.
What about those winter coats and boots, golf clubs, skis, or bicycles creating an assault course in your apartment? Let them spend the off-season in storage. Storing boxes of clothes, sports equipment, furniture, and just about anything you don’t use within 6 six months means you can enjoy the things most important to you while making space for new memories.
Seasonal home decorations should also be stored, making space for you to create decor that moves with the seasons. Indeed, simply removing a piece of furniture, a painting, or seasonal decoration helps you think differently, see things differently, and feel better.
Spend time considering which items you will not need around you over the next few months, then putting them into storage to make your home or office more spacious, more interesting, and less complicated.
Is it broken, expired, or damaged?
If the object you’re considering is broken, expired, or damaged, this is a clear sign to throw it away. Letting go of things that are no longer fit for purpose also creates a breath of fresh air in your life.
Removing the broken lamp gathering dust at the back of your closet frees up space for something new and exciting. You’ll discover that the search for the unknown is just as uplifting, fun, and liberating as the memories you have of your broken lamp. Of course, if the item could be fixed by someone else, consider donating it. If it is beyond repair, recycling or throwing it away is best.
Is it a nostalgia-triggering object?
Some objects that aren’t essential and we don’t use every day still deserve a place in our lives.
Objects from our past are catalysts for nostalgia; they allow us to hold onto the joy of the past by triggering memories easily forgotten when we are engulfed by the present.
Our favorite toy from when we were a child or a letter from a loved one can give a second life to the past. However, if we want to create space for new memories, it is important to consider storing them. Thinking about how an object makes you feel is important. If an object reminds you of good times and you are low on space, it might be worth storing away from the home so you can re-discover the happiness of that object when you have the time!