Have you ever wondered what will happen the day you’re no longer around, and your family or friends have to go through your things? From your clothes, to your paperwork, down to the cluttered cupboard under the kitchen sink. It’s a pretty morbid thought, and for most of us, it’s the last thing we want to think about, especially with the state of the world today. It’s also a terrifying thought. Most of us have cupboards, cabinets and garages filled with things we’ve either forgotten about, or trying hard to forget about; and one day someone will have to go through all of it. This is how the incredible, and often misunderstood art of Swedish Death Cleaning was born.
So what exactly is Swedish Death Cleaning? Also known as Döstädning popularised by writer Margareta Magnusson in her book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, one of the easiest ways of understanding this method of cleaning is to imagine your home as it is right now. Now, imagine you’re no longer there, and someone - maybe a close relative, or your best friend has been tasked with packing all your things. Are there things you’d rather not have them see? Or things you wouldn’t want to burden them with? Are there things that could cause embarrassment, or are just unnecessary for them to see? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’re already touching at the heart of Swedish Death Cleaning. And this is also what sets it apart from every other cleaning and decluttering method, because the focus is not only on how objects make you feel (which is the focus of methods like the one created by Marie Kondo), it’s also about how they would make your loved ones feel. It’s as much about you as it is about your loved ones.
Keeping your intentions clear and focused, start the process by tackling the areas that you aren’t able to see. Think storage cupboards, cabinets, and the back of bottom drawers. It’s here that you’ll find the things you never think about, and have most probably forgotten about. From there, you move onto clothing; until you eventually cover every part of your home, and you’ve gotten rid of the things you really don’t need, in favour of things that are necessary, essential and of course, won’t burden anyone after you’re no longer there.
And yes, it may all seem very depressing at first. After all, you may ask, isn’t this all just preparation for death one day? Well in some ways yes, but it affects the here and now tremendously, helping improve your life in the present moment as well. Ridding your home of clutter and unnecessary possessions can have real life changing benefits. It’s proven that getting rid of clutter can improve your overall mood, lessen anxiety while helping to kickstart healthier habits and routines. To learn more about this method, get your hands on The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson, available on loot.co.za
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