Decluttering sentimental items is a tough task for many people, and one of the most sentimental items we own are photographs. With one glance, memories come flooding back. They may be happy, sad, amusing...the list goes on and on. However, we have limits to what we can physically keep.
Yes, photographs are small. But how often have you had to sift through boxes and boxes of pictures just to find one specific photograph? Do you have so many pictures that you can't begin to enjoy them because it's too overwhelming? You can put them into scrapbooks or albums, but do you have the space to keep these items? If you do, that's great! If not, how can you go about paring down your photographs without getting rid of something important?
Here's the thing - your photographs aren't your memories. Wait....what? Read that again - your photographs aren't your memories. Your memories are in your mind. While the photographs can provide a reminder of them, they don't designate what memories you hold onto. Even if you lost all of your pictures, you would still have the memories. So, keep that in mind as you declutter and try not to be too hard on yourself. Let's start with pictures that are easier to let go of.
3 Types of Photographs to TOSS
1. Blurry photos
2. Duplicate/Very Similar photos
3. Photos that generate negative feelings
- An Ex-Boyfriend or Ex-Girlfriend
- Someone who no longer speaks to you
You can take the decluttering slow. Over time, it will get easier and easier to let go of sentimental items. If this is your first round of decluttering, you may want to start with something less emotional than photographs. Personally, I have decluttered all of the types of photos above. I haven't missed a single photo that I threw away. After completing the first three steps, you may still have more photos than you want. If this is the case, you might consider storing them in ways that take up less space in your home. Some great, minimal ways to store photos include...
Upload to digital storage (Here are just a few)
Google
Amazon - https://amzn.to/3uQ28hx
Dropbox
Apple iCloud
Create photo books online
Shutterfly - https://www.shutterfly.com/photo-books/
Amazon - https://amzn.to/387tc29
These books are smaller than your average photo album. They utilize space well, so you can include tons of photographs in just a few pages. They also look really nice if you want to sit them out for people to enjoy.
I wish you all the best as you begin decluttering photographs.
THANKS FOR READING!
~ Sierra
Disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
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