Declutter with your child - The Suitcase Method helps you set a baseline
Do you struggle with your own indecision: not knowing what to choose when everything sparks joy? Do you want to declutter with your child, but don't know how to start? Declutter with your child with the suitcase method!
Ruuhkaton now presents its own suitcase method. It allows you to declutter with your child too - the suitcase method helps you set the baseline for all your decisions.
Do I need all this - what would you pack for a two-week trip?
Do you ever remember thinking in a hotel room or on a trip that you actually have all the possessions you need right now? This feeling comes from security. When we've thought and planned ahead, we can be confident that we've covered the essentials and selected our most cherished items. There's no need for nice-to-have, later-then clothes.
This feeling is about being in the moment and valuing what we have the most. If you'd like to experience a similar appreciation for all your possessions, try the suitcase method. The suitcase method helps you set a baseline.
The suitcase method is my favourite decluttering technique as a professional organizer
The suitcase method also works really well with children, as it is concrete and helps you visualise this moment instead of the next. It also works in the face of indecision, as decisions are limited to a small moment in time.
The suitcase method involves choosing the most cherished possession of all to take with you on a "trip". So we're talking about a negligible amount of stuff or a moderate amount of clothes.
The method works best for clothes, as household items are rarely packed for travel.
Now that I've said that, I remember that at best I pack a cheese grater, kettle, coffee machine, exercise mat and night light for several trips a year. They are really dear items to me, and quite practical. I get annoyed easily without them, so I'm happy to go to the trouble of lugging them around to make my holiday easier.
You can either include just your clothes in this experiment or apply it to other items as if you were going on a trip.
Do I really need this outfit for the next two weeks?
The suitcase method is living in the moment: what are the most important clothes you would take with you now if you were going on a trip? If you had to choose, say, two out of five shirts, which ones would you take? Can you tell me why?
The method is all about narrowing down the clothes you love to even narrower limits. Prioritising priorities. What is insurmountably above the rest?
This narrowing down helps our brains, and sets a baseline, making it easier to declutter everything afterwards.
Where can the suitcase method be applied?
Once you can choose the ones you love in general, you can move on to sports or leisurewear, for example.
The method is also suitable for all items, especially if there are a large number of items to be decluttered, such as shoes, books, kitchen utensils or crockery.
This method is a subset of reverse decluttering, where the brain is persuaded to adopt a positive attitude towards letting go.
What is the suitcase method based on?
With your "bag packed" and your loved ones chosen, your brain is in a good mood to make decisions. You're committed to the most important items of all, and this helps your brain value your other possessions. Suddenly, a fun acrylic sweater isn't as appealing as your beloved merino wool sweater.
So you've set the benchmark and everything that's to come will be compared to these loved ones. It makes it easier to make decisions. This method also works well with sentimental objects.
Your brain is free to drive on the highway instead of fumbling through clogged thought paths to choose or cut out.
"The suitcase is packed", what next?
If you "packed" your clothes, the next step is to go through all your clothes. And when I say all your clothes, I really mean it.
I am myself a firm KonMarin supporter, so if by any chance you think you can do it, go through all your clothes now in one sitting or in a row over the next few days. If this seems like a difficult idea, actually pack these clothes you've chosen in a bag and aim to wear only them for a couple of weeks.
Then try decluttering the others again when you haven't touched the other clothes for a couple of weeks. Is it easier to let go now?
If that still doesn't work, try shushing your wardrobe: remove everything from the wardrobe by moving it to another room. Reset for a couple of days and then slowly start to put the clothes back in the closet. Read an example of the shushing technique.
For example, when and how do I declutter clothes?
I recommend that you divide your clothes into this season's wear (those that will actually be used immediately), other season's clothes, those to be considered, sold and donated (as well as outright rubbish).
Finland has four seasons, and this is reflected in our clothing needs. It's not worth cutting out winter clothes in the summer just because you can't wear them right now. The same goes for summer clothes in winter.
Jam these clothes on instead, and repeat the exercise for the start of the winter season.
My child doesn't want to declutter anything, why would the suitcase method work?
The suitcase method helps the child to visualise this moment. Even in the middle of summer, asking your child to declutter will make the Christmas shirt feel loved and important.
Instead, if you ask him to pack for the weeks ahead, your child can usually understand what it would be like to feel the Christmas wear in the warmth of summer. Children are usually very good at choosing clothes for the season, so try to be open-minded.
But be moderate. Let the child practice. The first round of decluttering may not be the right time to give up anything, not all adults are ready for this either. The second, third or fourth decluttering round is usually much more robust.
By teaching your child to taker care of their belongings and declutter time to time, you're equipping them to live in the modern world of abundance. This is an important everyday skill for coping at home and at work.
As a bonus, you can get your child to pack their own bags in the future, which will make your meta-work easier. We rely on this so much that I almost forgot to check the middle child's bag when packing for the last trip. Otherwise, everything important would have come along, but the socks would have been left unpacked.
