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Decluttering can be very challenging, especially when you have a lot of stuff to go through. The task becomes even more difficult when you need to let go of items that you’ve connected certain memories to. You may feel that parting with these kinds of objects means that you no longer want to be reminded of the memories associated with them. This is when a collection of seemingly ordinary things turns into emotional clutter.
Emotional clutter is defined as items you hold on to due to their sentimental value. They can be big or small objects that remind you of certain experiences, persons, or specific periods in your life. At times, you may even keep things given to you as gifts because you feel guilty about throwing them out.
Does your closet still have room for a few more clothes, or is it started to get filled with sentimental items you don’t use for everyday wear? If so, here are some reasons to consider removing emotional clutter from your wardrobe:
Clothes that no longer fit you properly are considered a type of emotional clutter. Instead of keeping these clothes because you want to hold on to a piece of the past, get clothes that fit you properly and feel comfortable to wear.
For example, it’s not practical to keep your most-loved pajamas if they’ve shrunk in the wash or if you’ve outgrown them. Whenever you’re relaxing in bed, you want to have sleepwear with a comfortable fit that will allow you to move around freely. You’ll also have a night of more restful sleep if your clothes don’t feel too restricting.
The same goes for clothing items that are meant to have a snug fit but have stretched out due to regular use, such as shapewear. If your shaping garments start feeling too loose, it may be time to shop for new comfortable shapewear. That being said, make sure to get a size and style that doesn’t interfere with your breathing. While they’re meant to stay close to the skin to provide you with a smoother silhouette, your shapewear must still feel comfortable enough that you can move and breathe properly.
Fashion trends change often, and so can your taste in clothing. Just because you enjoyed wearing hot pink ensembles in your teens doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll still want to wear the same vibrant outfits to your workplace. Don’t worry, though; this is normal and happens to everyone.
That being said, it can be challenging to let go of clothes you’ve had fun memories in. However, you can’t let these clothes turn into emotional clutter if you simply never wear them anymore or if your style preferences have changed significantly. The physical space they take up in your closet means you won’t have room for new fashion purchases. At the same time, these items can take up room in your headspace, too. Because of the image you have of yourself in the past, you may not be permitting yourself to get new clothes that better suit your present style.
The good news is that you can still incorporate elements of your previous fashion preferences into your current ensembles. Let's say you're trying to build a more mature and professional wardrobe and you used to wear tights in playful colors when you were younger. You can still enjoy adding bright, eye-catching accessories to your otherwise neutral-colored office outfits. It’s also a great time to explore stylish and better-quality tights that come in interesting but work-appropriate designs.
If you’re like most people, you’ve received your fair share of gifts from loved ones over the years. You may not really like some of these gifts but still feel compelled to keep them because you feel bad about letting them go. Over time, these items can accumulate around the home and start looking more like clutter rather than treasured possessions, and the same can happen to your wardrobe.
Instead of letting clothes you don’t use live in your closet, you can donate them to someone who’ll actually enjoy wearing them. Extending your generosity can also help you let go of any feelings of guilt you may have about parting with certain items. As a bonus, clearing your closet of stuff you never use will make it that much easier for you to find the things you do love and wear often. So, even if you have a variety of socks in your drawers, you won’t have to sift through any gifted pairs that just don’t match your personal style.
It’s not easy to declutter a wardrobe, especially when each piece of clothing represents something memorable or makes you feel nostalgic. However, letting emotional clutter take over your closet can be problematic, as you may end up with piles of clothes that no longer fit you or that you don’t enjoy wearing anymore.
If you’re having trouble figuring out which clothes to let go of and which to keep as mementos, here’s a quick tip: imagine that you lost them. Do you feel upset or do you feel okay with it? Doing this exercise can help you realize that you may not mind getting rid of certain items after all. And whenever you feel discouraged during the decluttering process, keep the reasons above in mind. These can motivate you to continue clearing your closet until you’ve finally let go of all the items that are no longer serving you.
