I just decluttered...and I'm miserable!

I just decluttered…and I’m miserable!

Decluttering and letting go is supposed to make us feel better, right? Less is more! So how come I feel so miserable after finishing a big declutter project? Let me explain.

I was cleaning out a closet when I came upon a box of stuff that gave me pause. It represented a part of my life that was not particularly happy but that had meaning nonetheless. Even though the items in the box had no monetary value and actually brought back sad memories, I was struggling to let them go. Why was it so hard to get rid of them? And, once I did, why did I feel so bad?

In a word – attachment. I had developed an attachment to the objects in the box and what they represented to me. Whether healthy or unhealthy, rational or irrational, the attachment was there. When I finally let go of the items, I felt a sense of regret, like the loss of a friend or losing a cherished pet. It seemed quite silly, given that the objects had no monetary or even sentimental value.

I finally decided to give myself permission to be sad and to regret having let go of the objects. It was like I was in mourning! For a few days I beat myself up about my decision and vowed never to let that happen again. But with time, those feelings passed, just like the sadness of a bad breakup.

Eventually, I actually found it funny that I had reacted so strongly to getting rid of some junk from my past. In hindsight, it was really quite liberating. Liberated not only of the box but from all of the negativity that had lived inside of it. What a pleasure to open my closet and see a big space where that crappy box used to live.