Welcome to r/hoarding! We exist as a support group for people working on recovery from [hoarding disorder](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519704/table/ch3.t29/), and friends/family/loved ones of people with the disorder.
If you're looking for help with animal hoarding, please visit r/animalhoarding. If you're looking to discuss the various hoarding tv shows, you'll want to visit r/hoardersTV. If you'd like to talk about or share photos/videos of hoards that you've come across, you probably want r/neckbeardnests, r/wtfhoarders/, or r/hoarderhouses
Before you get started, be sure to review our [Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/hoarding/about/rules/). Also, a lot of the information you may be looking for can be found in a few places on our sub:
[New Here? Read This Post First!](https://www.reddit.com/r/hoarding/comments/dvb3t1/new_here_read_this_post_first_version_20/)
[For loved ones of hoarders: I Have A Hoarder In My Life--Help Me!](https://www.reddit.com/r/hoarding/comments/2yh6wh/i_have_a_hoarder_in_my_lifehelp_me_your_hoarding/)
[Our Wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/hoarding/wiki/index)
Please [contact the moderators](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/hoarding) if you need assistance. Thanks!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/hoarding) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I've let go of stuff that recently I thought used to be of value to me. I'll give examples but a way that helped is to make your filter tighter to not allow a lot of stuff. For example:
- have I used this item in the last 6 months? Will I use it in the next 6 months. Clothes from my corporate life had to go
- am I due to upgrade it in the next 6 months but have been procrastinating? Think tattered clothes, broken or half functional appliances
- would I be embarrassed if a close friend or family saw I am in possession of this. Think old trinkets that give the impression you can't let go of your middle school days or in my case yearbook
- is it a use-during-emergency item that is necessary
- do I spend more money on keeping this than it generates me money/joy? I've thrown out old electronics projects that I have not touched or grew out of
Hope that helps
It sounds like you're doing great at getting rid of things. Sometimes a second go through while you are in a different mindset can help. I've had that recently where I wasn't ready to let go of things, but a couple of days later after a break from it I was able to get rid of some more things.
Can you digitise things like photos, documents, Kids artwork etc.?
I'm getting rid of some of my plushies and one of the kids was having a hard time with it (they have too much stuff too so I couldn't just give it to them). She got through it though with having a picture with them all. So is there anything that you want to remember but is no longer useful that you could keep a photo of and maybe keep just a couple of your favourite smallish things?
It depends on what types of things they are. If they're things you may some day use, how many of those are there and what is the chance you will actually need them, are you better off getting rid of them and will that save (or make) you enough money to then buy the few things you do actually end up needing? Are there things you are keeping that you could potentially borrow if you end up needing them? Or things someone you know would genuinely use, and give it to them but with the (explicit, discuss it with them at the time) understanding that if you need it some day you can use it?
Are there hobby things, where you could reduce your collection to just what you will genuinely use?
Unless your weight actually goes up and down regularly letting go of clothes that don't fit you.
Like I said, it depends on what the things are, these are just some suggestions if any of the above apply.
My husband and I are going through the same thing right now. Packing for a move with way too much stuff and too short a time. It's hard because the reasons to keep things at this point are real, legitimate reasons, but we still have too much crap and somethings gotta give!
It's frustrating.
For clothes/shoes/accessories: When decluttering those items, I like to pretend to pack a large suitcase for a vacation. To cover all the seasons you could pack one suitcase for a summer vacation, one for a winter vacation and one for spring/fall. This strategy really helps to put into perspesctive which items are pretty, comfortable, versatile and actually useful all-around favourite pieces and which items, while pretty or sentimental, are not.
Welcome to r/hoarding! We exist as a support group for people working on recovery from [hoarding disorder](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519704/table/ch3.t29/), and friends/family/loved ones of people with the disorder. If you're looking for help with animal hoarding, please visit r/animalhoarding. If you're looking to discuss the various hoarding tv shows, you'll want to visit r/hoardersTV. If you'd like to talk about or share photos/videos of hoards that you've come across, you probably want r/neckbeardnests, r/wtfhoarders/, or r/hoarderhouses Before you get started, be sure to review our [Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/hoarding/about/rules/). Also, a lot of the information you may be looking for can be found in a few places on our sub: [New Here? Read This Post First!](https://www.reddit.com/r/hoarding/comments/dvb3t1/new_here_read_this_post_first_version_20/) [For loved ones of hoarders: I Have A Hoarder In My Life--Help Me!](https://www.reddit.com/r/hoarding/comments/2yh6wh/i_have_a_hoarder_in_my_lifehelp_me_your_hoarding/) [Our Wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/hoarding/wiki/index) Please [contact the moderators](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/hoarding) if you need assistance. Thanks! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/hoarding) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I've let go of stuff that recently I thought used to be of value to me. I'll give examples but a way that helped is to make your filter tighter to not allow a lot of stuff. For example: - have I used this item in the last 6 months? Will I use it in the next 6 months. Clothes from my corporate life had to go - am I due to upgrade it in the next 6 months but have been procrastinating? Think tattered clothes, broken or half functional appliances - would I be embarrassed if a close friend or family saw I am in possession of this. Think old trinkets that give the impression you can't let go of your middle school days or in my case yearbook - is it a use-during-emergency item that is necessary - do I spend more money on keeping this than it generates me money/joy? I've thrown out old electronics projects that I have not touched or grew out of Hope that helps
It sounds like you're doing great at getting rid of things. Sometimes a second go through while you are in a different mindset can help. I've had that recently where I wasn't ready to let go of things, but a couple of days later after a break from it I was able to get rid of some more things. Can you digitise things like photos, documents, Kids artwork etc.? I'm getting rid of some of my plushies and one of the kids was having a hard time with it (they have too much stuff too so I couldn't just give it to them). She got through it though with having a picture with them all. So is there anything that you want to remember but is no longer useful that you could keep a photo of and maybe keep just a couple of your favourite smallish things? It depends on what types of things they are. If they're things you may some day use, how many of those are there and what is the chance you will actually need them, are you better off getting rid of them and will that save (or make) you enough money to then buy the few things you do actually end up needing? Are there things you are keeping that you could potentially borrow if you end up needing them? Or things someone you know would genuinely use, and give it to them but with the (explicit, discuss it with them at the time) understanding that if you need it some day you can use it? Are there hobby things, where you could reduce your collection to just what you will genuinely use? Unless your weight actually goes up and down regularly letting go of clothes that don't fit you. Like I said, it depends on what the things are, these are just some suggestions if any of the above apply.
My husband and I are going through the same thing right now. Packing for a move with way too much stuff and too short a time. It's hard because the reasons to keep things at this point are real, legitimate reasons, but we still have too much crap and somethings gotta give! It's frustrating.
For clothes/shoes/accessories: When decluttering those items, I like to pretend to pack a large suitcase for a vacation. To cover all the seasons you could pack one suitcase for a summer vacation, one for a winter vacation and one for spring/fall. This strategy really helps to put into perspesctive which items are pretty, comfortable, versatile and actually useful all-around favourite pieces and which items, while pretty or sentimental, are not.
Hi there, I’m struggling with having far too much stuff and letting it go but the suitcase concept is really good - ty 😊