The reward of the ongoing journey to simplicity

I'VE BEEN fascinated with the concept of Swedish Death Cleaning, or "döstädning" in Swedish, ever since I stumbled upon it on Facebook. It's a minimalist approach to decluttering and organising your home, inspired by the Swedish philosophy of embracing simplicity and preparing for the end of life. The idea resonated with me: take control of your belongings, rather than leaving the task to others, and focus on what truly matters in life.

With a newfound sense of determination, I approached my kids and asked them to be honest with me. "Do you want any of these things in your house one day?" I asked, holding up a chandelier and an old vase. Their responses were enlightening – and often brutal. "Um, no, mom, we don't need that." "What's this thing, anyway?"

It was a humbling experience, but it was exactly what I needed. I realised I'd been clinging to possessions, thinking they'd be valuable to my kids one day, but really, they were weighing me down.

I started taking pictures of items I was letting go of and posting them on Facebook Marketplace. The extra cash is coming in handy – I'm spoiling myself and the family with experiences now instead of dusting off old stuff.

As I sorted through my belongings, I couldn't help but think about how much time I'd wasted wanting more when all I needed was less. When I was younger, I was an avid collector of antiques, chandeliers, fairies... You name it! But as I grew older, I realised that all those possessions weren't bringing me joy; they were suffocating me.

My own experience with downsizing has been a journey. We moved from a huge home to a much smaller house, and it was a real eye-opener. I was astonished to discover the amount of possessions we had that were just stored in cupboards for "just in case" moments. The move was a big one – we had lived in that house for years, and the children grew up there. It was hard to leave, but it was also liberating to start fresh in a new place.

We started with a temporary place for six months, just to get our bearings in the new city. It was a small space, but it forced us to really pare down our belongings. And let me tell you, it was a blessing in disguise. I realised we didn't need as much as I thought we did, and it was refreshing to see how much stuff we could live without.

Six months later, we moved again, and the process started all over. But this time, it was easier. We knew what we needed, and we knew what we could live without. We've been in our townhouse for four months now, and it's feeling more and more like home, but with a lot less stuff.

I've learned some brutal truths about downsizing, and I'm sharing them here:

1. Just start – do it while you are still healthy. You have to be tough and let it go – you can't take it with you, anyway.
2. It has to be done by yourself – you're the only one who knows what history is stored in those boxes.
3. This one was tough: My kids don't want my stuff, and that's okay - they have their own lives and tastes.
4. This is a gift to my adult children and, most importantly, to myself. My children do not need to deal with my mess one day when I'm gone.

Swedish Death Cleaning is about more than just decluttering; it's about re-evaluating what's truly important. It's about making life easier for loved ones who'll be left behind, and finding freedom in simplicity.

I'm not saying it's been easy, but it's been liberating. I've let go of so much, and it feels amazing. Now, where's that bin bag ...?