It’s a beautiful morning after cleaning the house. ✨

It’s amazing how clearing up the area around my desk seems to clear my mind, too.

Here’s my desk ↓

Today, I’d like to talk about three types of people who have trouble letting go of things.

If you want to reduce the amount of stuff you own but can’t seem to make much progress, there are roughly three possible reasons.

I’ll also share some practical ways to deal with each one, so I hope you’ll find something helpful!

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The Real Reason You Can’t Let Go #1: Attachment to the Past

You can’t let go because you think:

“Because it was expensive.”

“It would be a waste.”

“It helped me when I was going through a difficult time.”

I think “because it was expensive” is probably one of the most common reasons.

I still have some things like that myself.

For example, there’s a steam iron sitting in my closet that I no longer use.

Would I buy it again at the same price?

Probably not.

But the feeling of “what a waste” comes first, so I can’t quite bring myself to let it go.

That’s a good candidate for letting go.

Instead, ask yourself:

“Do I use this now?”

What about sentimental items?

Photos, keepsakes, letters, artwork, notebooks, planners, and so on.

Sometimes we hold on to good memories from the past, our former achievements, or the recognition we once received.

For me, old school textbooks and notebooks were like that.

I was holding on to the version of myself who had worked so hard.

You could set a limit on how many things to keep, or take photos of them, digitize them, and let the originals go.

In my experience, though, I don’t even look at the digital versions.

Haha.

If I’m going to spend time reminiscing about the past, I’d rather enjoy the present with all my energy.

As a way of expressing that choice, I let go of everything from photo albums onward, quite decisively.

The only things I kept were the ones I genuinely wanted to look at again and again, and I put them somewhere I could easily access them.

I keep the things that make me feel good about the present.

For people who can’t let go because they’re attached to the past, what they need is practice.

Start with small things and gradually move on to bigger ones.

At first, even a single rubber band is fine.

Try letting go of one thing a day.

Then move from visible things to invisible ones.

Letting go of physical possessions you can see is practice for letting go of the things you carry in your heart that you can’t see.

I want to feel lighter, both physically and emotionally, and enjoy life to the fullest.

Just like learning a language, playing music, or playing sports, there’s only one way to get better:

Practice, practice, practice!

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The Real Reason You Can’t Let Go #2: Anxiety About the Future

You keep more things than you really need because you think:

“I might use this someday.”

“I might need this.”

“Just in case, I’d better keep it.”

A common example is the habit of stocking up.

And I have to admit, I’m guilty of this too.

At the end of the year, I bought five bags of dried bonito flakes at the supermarket.

Haha.

This particular supermarket is only closed for two days at the beginning of the New Year.

And yet I bought five bags because I didn’t want to run out during those two days.

It’s only two days…!

For some reason, I always end up buying all kinds of things in bulk at the end of the year.

Of course, buying household essentials and staple foods in larger quantities can sometimes be cheaper, and having a little extra on hand can make you feel secure.

But storing everything takes space, and it becomes difficult to keep track of what you actually have.

Then you hear:

“Oh, I forgot I already had some, so I bought another one…”

It happens all the time.

If you live somewhere with convenient access to shops, you can think of the stores as an extension of your storage space.

At home, I keep about a week’s worth of water and some food for emergencies.

We always have things like bottled water, canned fish, and emergency freeze-dried rice (Magic Rice) on hand.

For everyday essentials and food, I also use a rolling stock system, gradually using what I have and replacing it with new supplies.

For people who can’t let go because of anxiety about the future, what they need is information.

When you have the belief, “I’ll be in trouble without this,” it can be helpful to learn evidence and real-life examples showing that you can actually be okay without it.

And this is where we minimalists come in!

Haha.

When you look at how people who pursue a “just enough” lifestyle actually live, you may find yourself thinking:

“Oh, so I can live without this!”

Or:

“Wow, they own so little and still look so happy!”

You may be surprised by how many things you actually don’t need.

I sometimes watch videos or read books by other minimalists, too, and enjoy that refreshing feeling of having one of my assumptions challenged.

Once you realize that one person doesn’t actually need that many things to live, your mind can feel lighter, too.

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The Real Reason You Can’t Let Go #3: Escaping Reality

If you find yourself thinking:

“I’ll just keep it for now.”

“Not now…”
(And then avoid dealing with it.)

“I don’t want to be at home.”

Then the real cause might simply be fatigue.

You may be running low on energy.

For this type, the first thing you need is rest.

If you’re physically exhausted, get plenty of sleep and nourish your body.

If you’re mentally exhausted, try some light exercise or a digital detox.

If you’re emotionally exhausted, do something that helps your heart relax and feel safe.

And stop doing things simply because you feel obligated to do them.

I’ve also recently realized that a sense of belonging can be an important keyword here.

After leaving my job, I had plenty of time, but I still didn’t have much energy.

I think I was being drained by a combination of boredom and loneliness.

Connecting with people online has been a huge source of support for me.

But above all, I think the first priority is to get enough sleep and give your body a proper chance to rest.

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That’s It: Three Types of People Who Can’t Let Go

So there you have it—the three types of people who have trouble letting go, and what to do about each one!

Of course, you might be a hybrid of two or even all three types.

But I think that understanding your own tendencies can make it much easier to figure out where to start.

I hope this article helps make your life feel just a little lighter. 🍀

Thank you so much for reading!