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Everyone’s talking about decluttering and aiming for a more minimalist life, starting right at home. With myriad ways to achieve this, not all receive universal applause. Decluttering specialists recently gathered online to dish on the trends they believe should be retired.
1. Needless Upcycling
Upcycling is one of the most environmentally friendly and satisfying ways to repurpose old furniture, but some people do it needlessly. While the practice is gaining popularity, many people new to the scene upcycle a piece for the sake of upcycling! Just because an item is old doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to be repurposed; plenty of gorgeous pieces of furniture have become stripped of all character.
2. Succumbing to Fads
Whenever a new trend comes along, countless people succumb to it – for better or worse. Unfortunately, the point of minimalism is lost on these folks. “It’s awful that I see people buying all new clothes or furniture because the old stuff doesn’t ‘spark joy,'” reports one woman. “That’s not how this works. That’s not how any of this works; they just watched a TV show.”
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3. The Race To Donate the Most
Many experts agree there’s a thin line between decluttering and competing against friends and family to see who can donate the most items to charity. Remember: Winning a race against others is not the point of minimalism.
4. Repurposing Books as Art
Instead of using bookshelves to store books, recently, more people have displayed their books unfolded on their walls as a do-it-yourself art installation. Many experts can’t stand this practice, as it turns precious books meant to entertain and inform into drab art pieces. Books are meant to be read, not looked at!
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5. Organizing Books Via Color
Even if you store your books on shelves like a sane person, organizing them by color is especially eye-rolling! “One thing I can’t stand is when books are arranged by color,” admits one expert. “Aesthetically gorgeous, but unless I remember the exact color of every book spine, actually finding anything would be a nightmare!”
6. Confusing the Message of Minimalism
Living a minimalist lifestyle does not mean starting from scratch. On the contrary, it’s a sad state of affairs when countless people don’t truly grasp what minimalism stands for. “I laugh at people who insist other people get rid of all their books, collectibles, and clothes just because of minimalism,” says one woman.
“I just don’t think minimalism is or should be about throwing out your favorite things just so you can win the who has less stuff Olympics.”
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7. Forcing Others To Declutter or Minimize
Just because a lifestyle change works for you doesn’t mean it will work for someone else. Likewise, resist the urge to push modern organizational techniques on unsuspecting family members or friends because resentment can arise if they’re not on board.
8. Re-Packing Food
Some habits are bizarre and don’t endorse any values decluttering and minimalism stand for – like re-packing food into different containers. “I can’t believe some people are taking food out of its original packaging and putting it in other containers,” laments one man. “You lose important information like the ingredients label, nutritional info, and expiration date. Plus, who can keep up with that?”
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9. Overly-Stacked Cupboards and Refrigerators
When organizing a kitchen, many people forget to consider possible food waste when decluttering cupboards and refrigerators. Although your cabinets and fridge may look perfectly organized after you finish putting things into place, you need to step back and realize how much you’ll eventually throw out when perishable items go bad!
10. Getting Rid of a Certain Amount of Things Per Day
Minimalism and organizing are about being organic. Many people can’t stand those who set specific organizing goals for themselves each day, such as pre-determining how many items to throw out or donate daily. After all, we all have to draw the line somewhere.
Source: Reddit.
This article was produced and syndicated by Happy Organized Life.
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