Minimalism Is the New Trend

In recent years, minimalistic design has become a trend. Instead of having decorations covering every wall, they are few and far between to make the most of empty space in a room. The younger generations, such as Millennials and Generation Z, are especially fond of this decorating style. And while it may not be for everybody, there are certain elements of it that are admirable. One in particular—and the topic of this blog post—is how easily they seem to let go of items they no longer want, need, or use.

Throwing Things Out Is Difficult

Everybody knows just how difficult it can be to let go. Whether it be a stuffed animal that you couldn’t live without when you were younger or a pen that served you well, we all seem to have a connection to these items that we have shared memories with, and it really can be difficult to throw them out.

Some people, on the other hand, seem to have no issue throwing things away, no matter what they are. While we don’t know the difference between people who hold on and people who so easily let go, we can learn a thing or two from the people who let go so we can start throwing things away when we no longer need them. Here are a few tips and tricks that you can use to help yourself master the art of throwing things away.

How to Let Go

1. You’ve probably heard of Marie Kondo and her methodology of when you should throw something out. To paraphrase her famous advice, a good plan of action is to pick up the item in question, ask yourself, “Does this spark joy?” and throw out all of the things that don’t. If you follow that advice, you’ll be well on your way to a minimalistic lifestyle in no time.
2. If you’re on the fence about whether or not you should keep something, put in the “maybe” pile. Then, put everything that was in the maybe pile someplace visible. If you don’t use an item over the course of a month or two, it might be time to throw it out.
3. Set aside 10 minutes every day to tidy up and clean. Not only will your living space look better, but you’ll probably throw things away in the process.
4. You’ve probably heard of this trick: At the beginning of a season, hang all of your clothes so that the clothes hanger points to the left. After you wear something, hang it up, but this time have the hanger point to the right. At the end of the season, go through all of the hangers that are still pointing to the left (i.e. the ones you haven’t work) and throw out at least 2 of them.