8 Practical Tips for Letting Go of Sentimental Items

In Singapore, I have 1 clear box full of mementos I’ve saved for… memories’ sake. The box contains my curated things – things I love, things associated with core memories, or gifts that held great meaning. I’ve had it for years now because letting go of sentimental items is the hardest part of any decluttering journey.

I don’t use anything in the box and don’t intend to ship it to the US. So I could’ve gotten rid of the whole box and not have my life affected. Yet, I’ve looked through the objects in it each time I come back and always found it impossible to let the contents go.

Some of the objects in the box include my favorite CDs – approximately 60% of them are Lana Del Rey’s albums. Some special books – 3 beautiful “books of spells” my best friend got me, Bill Bryson’s The Lost Continent (a gift and a fun read), a USA travel guide (another gift), among others. There’s a wind-up doll my mom bought me when I was a kid that I will never get rid of. I’ve also kept several cards containing the most meaningful words from friends. Plus a puzzle of the Golden Gate’s Bridge my best friends gave me, which I’m saving for when my husband comes with me.

After looking through the box for the millionth time, I decided it’s time to write this post and let go of my sentimental items.

It’s a bit trickier to get rid of sentimental items since you can’t always use the “did I use it in the last 6 months” rule to determine if you want it. Sentimental items are often not practical items, they tend to have a higher value, and/or have an emotional element to them.

So here are 8 tips!

• Read about how to become a minimalist

1. Never start decluttering with sentimental items

Unless you have very little attachment to things, starting with sentimental items is a quick way to derail your decluttering attempt. It’s best to ease into the process. Start decluttering non-sentimental objects first – clothes, documents, kitchen supplies. These are the easiest to part with and don’t “hurt” as much.

When you become more comfortable with letting go of these objects, or better yet, when you feel the incredible lightness decluttering often brings about, move on to sentimental items. Ease into it.

2. Sentimental items may feel like part of our identity, but you don’t need them

One emotion I felt strongly when letting go of sentimental items is how these items are tied to my identity.

I’m guessing people don’t usually have CDs in their box of sentimental things, but I do. Mind you, I don’t even have a CD player anymore. The CDs I have are more than musicians I love. They’re a part of my identity. I’m proud of my love for 60s music and my obsession with Lana del Rey. Ha!

For someone else, the objects that represent their identity could be non-fiction books (smart), hard-earned trophies from high school (athletic), sweet cards made by their children (loving), or doilies made by a grandmother (grateful).

Would we still have our qualities without our sentimental objects? Of course! But it can feel like we wouldn’t. We don’t need objects to prove something about ourselves. Hell, we don’t need to prove anything to anyone.

3. Hold on to the person or the memories, not the sentimental items

Memories are another thing we tie items to. Things gifted to us are seldom just things. They’re also acts of love. When we give these things away, especially if they’re heirlooms, it can feel like we’re little ingrates. The problem is, almost all our sentimental items would fall into this category.

We must separate the items from the memories or relationships they represent, or we’ll accumulate clutter throughout the decades of our lives.

Fortunately, there are way better methods to show we care about a memory or a relationship than keeping a gift. We can simply keep in touch with that person. Regularly checking in with that person is better than holding on to a gift they gave us. Undivided attention is often the most meaningful gift we can give to someone. So if you feel guilty about getting rid of a gift, consider showering them with your care and concern.

The memories are in you, letting go of the sentimental object doesn’t mean you’re getting rid of the relationship or the memories.

4. Letting go of sentimental items feel like a loss, but the true loss comes with allowing them to linger

As humans, we’re very loss-avoidant. The idea of letting go of something of value can induce some anxiety. We feel like we’ll be disadvantaged when we let something go. It’s worth money! My friend made this for me! So we’d rather keep them stored away in a box in the attic or the storage room.

However, things often degrade when left untouched. Expensive coats can get chewed up by insects, trinkets tarnish and rust over time, books turn yellow and spotted, and electronics quickly become obsolete. With the exception of collectibles and good jewelry, we’ll derive more value from things if we used them, sold them, or gave them away, rather than keeping them.

There’s also the lost attention and space from all that clutter. I see cluttered spaces as lost opportunities for a peaceful, restful environment.

5. Think of it as curation – focus on what’s remaining, not what’s let go of

Choosing to keep fewer sentimental items amplify each item’s impact on us. No matter how meaningful something is, it fades into obscurity when there are a hundred other sentimental items vying for attention.

We are better off picking a few items that truly matter to us than keeping 10 boxes full of them. It’s impossible to remember what’s in 1o boxes. If you can’t remember what’s in them, can you cherish what’s in them?

Think of your house as a sacred space or an art museum. We would only display the nicest or most meaningful pieces in an art museum. We don’t bury the nicest or most meaningful things in boxes or clutter up their displays with other stuff. So think of decluttering sentimental items as curating. What would you keep for your personal museum?

6. You don’t have to let go of every sentimental item, or finish decluttering in one session

I used to buy souvenirs during my travels. I had a pin from Arizona, a mini boomerang from Sydney, a plastic cup from a hot wine purchase in Paris, among other things. They don’t add or subtract value to my memories, but it still took me several decluttering attempts to let them go.

However, I didn’t let go of my 26-year-old Tamagotchi. To me, it isn’t just an outdated toy from the early 2000s.

My parents, not being rich, hardly bought anything for themselves, but they always bought me toys. When my dad bought me the pricey egg-shaped digital pet device, I had just understood the value of money. So it became more than a toy, it became a symbol of the sacrifice my parents made for me.

While I don’t need the Tamagotchi to remember what my parents did for me, it’s much more meaningful than the souvenirs. I chose to keep the former even though it no longer serves a purpose. We don’t have to let go of every sentimental item. Also, if this round of decluttering didn’t go well, you can always declutter again another day.

7. Though you don’t have to get rid of everything, it’s good to set a limit

That said, it’s always good to set a limit for what you want to keep. If you have 10 boxes worth of things, try reducing it to a number you’re comfortable with. This can be 7, 5, 3, or no boxes! Perhaps you can just keep a few items to use or place around the house. That would turn them into meaningful reminders rather than forgotten keepsakes.

Setting a limit forces us to part with more things in a tangible yet comfortable manner.

8. Forget about the potential of objects to be used a certain way

Once upon a time, I fantasized about displaying my CDs and travel guide proudly in my living room, but they’ve languished in my box of memories for years already. Now the travel guide has become outdated and I still don’t have a living room. If I had let the guide go sooner, someone else could’ve used it.

Either unleash the potential of an object by using or displaying it, or let it go. Don’t keep something solely for a special occasion or future event. Things are better used than stored away.

In Summary

When it comes to sentimental objects, declutter them last, set a limit for what you want to keep, and see letting go of sentimental items as curation. Remember they’re not determinants of your identity or relationships, and boxing them away is often more wasteful than using, donating, or even throwing them out.

Ideally, after you’ve let go of some sentimental items, you’ll find yourself with fewer items that bring you way more joy than before. And the items will have the space to shine and fulfill their sentimental purposes properly.

• Read about more decluttering tips courtesy of Fumio Sasaki

I hope you’ve found these tips useful! Are you trying to declutter your sentimental items? I hope you’ll have fun during the process and a restful home at the end of it. And please do share your decluttering experience or tips with us in the comments! It’s always fun to have a discussion. Thank you for reading.