THE BRITISH OBSESSION WITH POSSESSIONS

79% of people have space in their home full of things they don’t need or use

·         More than one in 10 (15%) never have a big clear out

·         79% admit to holding on to items they don’t need or use purely for sentimental reasons

·         19% have a whole room in their home full of stuff they don’t need or use

A new survey has revealed that us Brits just love to hold on to things and struggle to let go of items even when we know we don’t need them and will never use them again.

The survey, by insurance specialist RIAS, found that 79 per cent of people have space in their home full of items they know they don’t need or use – for 31 per cent it’s a drawer, 28 per cent it’s a cupboard and for 19 per cent it’s a whole room.

One in 10 people never have a clear out, and the majority of people (64 per cent) have a clear out once a year at the most.  Yet, 79 per cent acknowledge holding on to items they no longer need, want or use purely for sentimental reasons.

Dr Elizabeth Forrester said: “People seem to struggle to let go of material things, often citing emotional attachment or sentimental reasons for holding onto unnecessary items.

“It seems to be a subconscious decision to simply hold onto things even though it’s known there’s no need or use for them anymore. Items are kept out of sight and never used, but hold comfort simply in the knowledge they are there. For many people this “comfort” extends from a kitchen drawer to occupying an entire room.”

The research also found that when moving home – a key opportunity to clear out clutter and reappraise belongings – people decide to take the junk with them.  In fact, 55 per cent of people who have moved home in the last five years said they didn’t clear out their possessions when they moved. Once in their new home 79 per cent realised they had hung on to items they shouldn’t have.

To put the survey results to the test RIAS put blogger Louise Parker of lvinlovewith.com in touch with psychologist Dr Elizabeth Forrester to help her take a less emotional view of her possessions.  Having recently moved home Louise had already cleared out a lot of unwanted items, but realised she was still clinging onto a lot of clothing, toiletries and other beauty items unnecessarily.

Louise said: “I was a little nervous about de-cluttering with Liz if I’m honest. I like to think I’m quite a streamlined person, so I really thought that there wouldn’t be anything that I would deem as clutter. However, my wardrobe and drawers that were bursting at the seams were telling a different story so something really needed to be done!

“Liz’s approach was very simple, after putting all my clothes from my wardrobes and drawers (and secret suitcases filled with further clothes) on the bed – it was as easy as picking up each item one by one and really assessing whether I wanted it or needed it. Asking myself whether I actually wore it, or if it was the similar to lots of my other clothes was a particularly handy approach. I found that I hadn’t really thought about many of the items of clothes for quite a while, just because I rarely saw them in my packed wardrobe!

My drawers full of bottles, make-up and skincare were an area that really needed addressing – it was amazing the great feeling I got when I found something in amongst the clutter that I forgot I had. It was also really great to rid myself of the little sample sachets and bottles from magazines and make-up counters. Physically seeing the piles of stuff that I was happy to get rid of was quite a shock and that image will really stay with me when I next go into Boots!

Another thing Liz taught me was to contemplate the amount of things I bring into the house every day – and whether I clear the same amount out.  Now when I do choose to buy something new, I’ll be thinking about what I could get rid of to balance it out.

Dr Elizabeth Forrester said: “Louise made some interesting comments about some of the items she’d struggled to discard. This applied to quite a few cosmetic items which had lain unused and unloved in the drawer. Attempts to avoid unpleasant, negative feelings is a key reason for not tackling clutter. When Louise came face-to-face with these items, it reminded her of money she had spent on them, so getting rid of them felt wasteful, and led to further feelings of guilt.  A self-confessed lover of shopping, I asked her about the feelings she experienced when she bought the items. When we shop, we see items that we desire and it often seems as if we will never get over that intense feeling of longing we experience. In fact, that feeling has too often fizzled out before we’ve even set foot through the door and the item loses its magic. In a similar way, we may fear that the negative thoughts and emotions we get when contemplating getting rid of some unworn or unused purchases won’t go away either.

“By clearing out a significant amount of clutter (like half-used tubes and bottles), and taking a novel approach to discarding her unwanted purchases (such as passing them on to friends and colleagues for a donation to a favourite charity). Louise had a very different experience: she found that, rather than being left with uncomfortable feelings she got the same familiar buzz she would get when acquiring something new. What’s more, delighting friends with a nearly-new bargain (and being able to give some cash to a good cause) will give her some additional ‘feel good’ experiences. So by having a good clear-out, it is possible to fall in love all over again with some things that have been languishing in the back of cupboards.”

Visit http://www.rias.co.uk/ for top tips on decluttering and expert advice from Dr Liz Forrester