Whether you consider yourself a pack rat, a hoarder, or just a collector, you probably have a hard time letting go of certain things. Do you find it difficult to get rid of stuff you no longer need or want? This isn’t as uncommon as you might think. Plenty of people have trouble giving up their possessions, even when it’s the best thing for them. To help you understand yourself a little better, we’ll look at some of the common reasons why you struggle to get rid of possessions and what you can do about them.

You’re Worried You May Need It in the Future

One of the most common reasons people struggle to get rid of things is that they feel they will need them in the undetermined future. While this is true for some items, you need to think about how much you have used it so far. If you haven’t touched it in months, or even years, is it likely that you will need it soon? This requires a little brutal honesty with yourself, but you’ll feel better when those things are gone.

There’s an Element of Sentimentality

You should know that there isn’t anything wrong with keeping something for sentimental reasons, but the problem comes when even the smallest, most useless pieces of junk become sentimental. This kind of sentimental clutter is difficult to get rid of because it feels like losing part of yourself when you let them go. However, once you remove these things from your life, you’ll start to understand that you don’t always need a physical sentiment to remind you of your good memories.

There’s Too Much To Get Rid Of

Sometimes, the problem that stands in your way seems so overwhelming that you won’t even bother trying to fix it. If you have a ton of things you need to get rid of, your brain might decide it’s a task not worth the effort. A shift in mindset is what you need in this case. Try to see decluttering as a more gradual, relaxing task rather than something you need to finish right away. It’s an unexpected way to reduce stress, but the process is cathartic if you take your time rather than rush.

You Feel Guilty

For some piles of clutter, there’s a sense of guilt that comes along with it. Maybe something you can’t throw away was a gift. Perhaps you spent a lot of money on something that you ended up never using. These feelings of guilt are understandable, but they only hurt you in the long run. Letting go of both the guilt and the items associated with it will take a lot of weight off your shoulders.