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Cleaning and Organization
Swedish Death Cleaning: Everything You Need to Know About the Ultimate Decluttering Trend
January 16, 2018
You may be familiar with Swedish Death Metal, but have you ever heard of Swedish Death Cleaning? This hot new cleaning trend embraces a minimalist philosophy based on the sad fact that you can't take it with you, and offers tips and pointers to live a less-cluttered life while ensuring family members won't be burdened with all your stuff after you've gone. It may be totally morbid, but for organization enthusiasts, it's the ultimate end goal.
Cleaning and Organization
Swedish Death Cleaning: Everything You Need to Know About the Ultimate Decluttering Trend
January 16, 2018
You may be familiar with Swedish Death Metal, but have you ever heard of Swedish Death Cleaning? This hot new cleaning trend embraces a minimalist philosophy based on the sad fact that you can't take it with you, and offers tips and pointers to live a less-cluttered life while ensuring family members won't be burdened with all your stuff after you've gone. It may be totally morbid, but for organization enthusiasts, it's the ultimate end goal.
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Swedish Death Cleaning
1/14Swedish Death Cleaning
1/14Photo Credit: Scribe PublicationsSource: scribepublications.com.au
So what exactly is Swedish Death Cleaning? According to Margareta Magnusson, author of <em>The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning</em>, the practice presents a measured, sensible way to deal with one's possessions as we approach the twilight years by methodically decluttering your home before you kick the bucket — so your descendants don't have to.Cleaning and OrganizationSwedish Death Cleaning: Everything You Need to Know About the Ultimate Decluttering TrendSwedish Death Cleaning
PHOTO 1 of 14READ LESS -So what exactly is Swedish Death Cleaning? According to Margareta Magnusson, author of <em>The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning</em>, the practice presents a measured, sensible way to deal with one's possessions as we approach the twilight years by methodically decluttering your home before you kick the bucket — so your descendants don't have to.Photo Credit: Scribe PublicationsSource: scribepublications.com.au
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Origins
2/14Origins
2/14Photo Credit: Pexels.comSource: www.pexels.com
Swedish Death Cleaning is essentially the Swedish practice known as döstädning, a combination of the word “dö” (which means death) and “standing” (which means cleaning). “Death cleaning is not about dusting or mopping up; it is about a permanent form of organization that makes your everyday life run more smoothly,” Magnusson writes in her book, noting that despite the somewhat morbid purpose, many people actually find it enjoyable. “It is a delight to go through things and remember their worth,” she writes.Cleaning and OrganizationSwedish Death Cleaning: Everything You Need to Know About the Ultimate Decluttering TrendOrigins
PHOTO 2 of 14READ LESS -Swedish Death Cleaning is essentially the Swedish practice known as döstädning, a combination of the word “dö” (which means death) and “standing” (which means cleaning). “Death cleaning is not about dusting or mopping up; it is about a permanent form of organization that makes your everyday life run more smoothly,” Magnusson writes in her book, noting that despite the somewhat morbid purpose, many people actually find it enjoyable. “It is a delight to go through things and remember their worth,” she writes.Photo Credit: Pexels.comSource: www.pexels.com
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Decluttering... with a Purpose
3/14Decluttering... with a Purpose
3/14Photo Credit: Eduardo Hall/Flickr Creative CommonsSource: www.flickr.com
Over the course of our lives, we accumulate stuff — lots of stuff! Swedish Death Cleaning aims to cut the clutter, but with a purpose: to get rid of stuff you don't need, which will minimize the meaningless clutter in your life and allow an extra appreciation of those things that maintain enough value for us to hold onto.Cleaning and OrganizationSwedish Death Cleaning: Everything You Need to Know About the Ultimate Decluttering TrendDecluttering... with a Purpose
PHOTO 3 of 14READ LESS -Over the course of our lives, we accumulate stuff — lots of stuff! Swedish Death Cleaning aims to cut the clutter, but with a purpose: to get rid of stuff you don't need, which will minimize the meaningless clutter in your life and allow an extra appreciation of those things that maintain enough value for us to hold onto.Photo Credit: Eduardo Hall/Flickr Creative CommonsSource: www.flickr.com
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Organize and Categorize
4/14Organize and Categorize
4/14Photo Credit: Jessica Spengler/Flickr Creative CommonsSource: www.flickr.com
One of the most important aspects of Swedish Death Cleaning — and sometimes the most difficult — is knowning how to get started. Magnusson recommends organizing your belongings by category and getting at the easiest one first. “I always choose clothes as my first category,” she writes. “That is easy for me since I know that I have many garments in my wardrobe that I seldom or never use.”Cleaning and OrganizationSwedish Death Cleaning: Everything You Need to Know About the Ultimate Decluttering TrendOrganize and Categorize
PHOTO 4 of 14READ LESS -One of the most important aspects of Swedish Death Cleaning — and sometimes the most difficult — is knowning how to get started. Magnusson recommends organizing your belongings by category and getting at the easiest one first. “I always choose clothes as my first category,” she writes. “That is easy for me since I know that I have many garments in my wardrobe that I seldom or never use.”Photo Credit: Jessica Spengler/Flickr Creative CommonsSource: www.flickr.com
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Why Are You Keeping Stuff?
5/14Why Are You Keeping Stuff?
5/14Photo Credit: Kaarina Dillabough/Flickr Creative CommonsSource: www.flickr.com
In her book, Magnusson reveals how she came to the realization that other members of her family were not as sentimental about her stuff as she was. For example, she recalls thinking that one of her children would want to take the kitchen table around which they sat when growing up. However, when she finally asked them about it, none of them actually wanted it. As she writes, "we learned not to hang on to things that nobody seems to want.”Cleaning and OrganizationSwedish Death Cleaning: Everything You Need to Know About the Ultimate Decluttering TrendWhy Are You Keeping Stuff?
PHOTO 5 of 14READ LESS -In her book, Magnusson reveals how she came to the realization that other members of her family were not as sentimental about her stuff as she was. For example, she recalls thinking that one of her children would want to take the kitchen table around which they sat when growing up. However, when she finally asked them about it, none of them actually wanted it. As she writes, "we learned not to hang on to things that nobody seems to want.”Photo Credit: Kaarina Dillabough/Flickr Creative CommonsSource: www.flickr.com
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Create a Document
6/14Create a Document
6/14Photo Credit: Pexels.comSource: www.pexels.com
In the process of your Swedish Death Clean, create a document that will be helpful to your family after you're gone, featuring bank account info, plus login and password information etc. for financial institutions and anything else that may be difficult to track down.Cleaning and OrganizationSwedish Death Cleaning: Everything You Need to Know About the Ultimate Decluttering TrendCreate a Document
PHOTO 6 of 14READ LESS -In the process of your Swedish Death Clean, create a document that will be helpful to your family after you're gone, featuring bank account info, plus login and password information etc. for financial institutions and anything else that may be difficult to track down.Photo Credit: Pexels.comSource: www.pexels.com
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Talk About It Candidly
7/14Talk About It Candidly
7/14Photo Credit: Pexels.comSource: www.pexels.com
Death is a conversation topic most of us want to avoid — especially when it comes to one's own death. Yet in order to be successful at Swedish Death Cleaning, it's important to talk about it openly with friends and family, so they understand what you're doing and why. Speaking about it to others, notes Magnusson, is the first step in making your plans of decluttering a reality; once others know what you're doing, it becomes more difficult to procrastinate.Cleaning and OrganizationSwedish Death Cleaning: Everything You Need to Know About the Ultimate Decluttering TrendTalk About It Candidly
PHOTO 7 of 14READ LESS -Death is a conversation topic most of us want to avoid — especially when it comes to one's own death. Yet in order to be successful at Swedish Death Cleaning, it's important to talk about it openly with friends and family, so they understand what you're doing and why. Speaking about it to others, notes Magnusson, is the first step in making your plans of decluttering a reality; once others know what you're doing, it becomes more difficult to procrastinate.Photo Credit: Pexels.comSource: www.pexels.com
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Don't Fear Swedish Death Cleaning
8/14Don't Fear Swedish Death Cleaning
8/14Photo Credit: Pexels.comSource: www.pexels.com
As Magnusson writes in her book, one of the key tips of successfully embracing the concept of Swedish Death Cleaning is to not fear it. "Death cleaning isn’t the story of death and its slow, ungainly inevitability," she writes. "But rather the story of life, your life, the good memories and the bad. The good ones you keep. The bad you expunge.'"Cleaning and OrganizationSwedish Death Cleaning: Everything You Need to Know About the Ultimate Decluttering TrendDon't Fear Swedish Death Cleaning
PHOTO 8 of 14READ LESS -As Magnusson writes in her book, one of the key tips of successfully embracing the concept of Swedish Death Cleaning is to not fear it. "Death cleaning isn’t the story of death and its slow, ungainly inevitability," she writes. "But rather the story of life, your life, the good memories and the bad. The good ones you keep. The bad you expunge.'"Photo Credit: Pexels.comSource: www.pexels.com
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Reward Yourself
9/14Reward Yourself
9/14Photo Credit: Pexels.comSource: www.pexels.com
Magnusson recommends giving yourself a reward after successfully completing a portion of your Swedish Death Clean, whether it's a glass of your favourite wine, treating yourself to a meal or a relaxing bubble bath — anything that allows you to revel in a job well done, which will keep you engaged for the jobs still to come.Cleaning and OrganizationSwedish Death Cleaning: Everything You Need to Know About the Ultimate Decluttering TrendReward Yourself
PHOTO 9 of 14READ LESS -Magnusson recommends giving yourself a reward after successfully completing a portion of your Swedish Death Clean, whether it's a glass of your favourite wine, treating yourself to a meal or a relaxing bubble bath — anything that allows you to revel in a job well done, which will keep you engaged for the jobs still to come.Photo Credit: Pexels.comSource: www.pexels.com
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Stop Shopping
10/14Stop Shopping
10/14Photo Credit: Pexels.comSource: www.pexels.com
If you're a dyed-in-the-wool shopaholic... then Houston, we have a problem. The point is to part ways with extra things you really don't need; purging your closets only to fill them back up kind of defeats the purpose of Swedish Death Cleaning. Which is not to say that you should never go shopping again; rather, be mindful of what you're buying, and ensure it's an item that will bring ongoing joy to your life and not sit in a corner gathering dust.Cleaning and OrganizationSwedish Death Cleaning: Everything You Need to Know About the Ultimate Decluttering TrendStop Shopping
PHOTO 10 of 14READ LESS -If you're a dyed-in-the-wool shopaholic... then Houston, we have a problem. The point is to part ways with extra things you really don't need; purging your closets only to fill them back up kind of defeats the purpose of Swedish Death Cleaning. Which is not to say that you should never go shopping again; rather, be mindful of what you're buying, and ensure it's an item that will bring ongoing joy to your life and not sit in a corner gathering dust.Photo Credit: Pexels.comSource: www.pexels.com
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Give Stuff Away
11/14Give Stuff Away
11/14Photo Credit: Pexels.comSource: www.pexels.com
In her book, Magnusson suggests the idea of giving items as gifts to friends and family members that may have admired those items. Sharing these things with the people who will most appreciate them is something that will be far more fulfilling for both parties if it happens while you're still alive.Cleaning and OrganizationSwedish Death Cleaning: Everything You Need to Know About the Ultimate Decluttering TrendGive Stuff Away
PHOTO 11 of 14READ LESS -In her book, Magnusson suggests the idea of giving items as gifts to friends and family members that may have admired those items. Sharing these things with the people who will most appreciate them is something that will be far more fulfilling for both parties if it happens while you're still alive.Photo Credit: Pexels.comSource: www.pexels.com
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Get Happy
12/14Get Happy
12/14Photo Credit: Pexels.comSource: www.pexels.com
One of the unintended consequences of Swedish Death Cleaning is that it may actually make you happier. “Life will become more pleasant and comfortable if we get rid of some of the abundance,” Magnusson writes in her book. “Mess is an unnecessary source of irritation.”Cleaning and OrganizationSwedish Death Cleaning: Everything You Need to Know About the Ultimate Decluttering TrendGet Happy
PHOTO 12 of 14READ LESS -One of the unintended consequences of Swedish Death Cleaning is that it may actually make you happier. “Life will become more pleasant and comfortable if we get rid of some of the abundance,” Magnusson writes in her book. “Mess is an unnecessary source of irritation.”Photo Credit: Pexels.comSource: www.pexels.com
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Lower Stress
13/14Lower Stress
13/14Photo Credit: Pexels.comSource: www.pexels.com
Ridding yourself of clutter will also lower your stress, according to Amy Morin, LCSW, a lecturer at Northeastern University and author of <em>13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do</em>. “When there is less chaos on the outside, we’re likely to feel less chaos on the inside,” she <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/what-swedish-death-cleaning-should-you-be-doing-it-ncna816511" rel="noopener" target="_blank">told NBC News</a>.Cleaning and OrganizationSwedish Death Cleaning: Everything You Need to Know About the Ultimate Decluttering TrendLower Stress
PHOTO 13 of 14READ LESS -Ridding yourself of clutter will also lower your stress, according to Amy Morin, LCSW, a lecturer at Northeastern University and author of <em>13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do</em>. “When there is less chaos on the outside, we’re likely to feel less chaos on the inside,” she <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/what-swedish-death-cleaning-should-you-be-doing-it-ncna816511" rel="noopener" target="_blank">told NBC News</a>.Photo Credit: Pexels.comSource: www.pexels.com
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Confront Your Own Mortality
14/14Confront Your Own Mortality
14/14Photo Credit: Pexels.comSource: www.pexels.com
Swedish Death Cleaning can also be a healthy way to address our own mortality. “We must all talk about death," writes Magnusson. "If it’s too hard to address, then death cleaning can be a way to start the conversation."Cleaning and OrganizationSwedish Death Cleaning: Everything You Need to Know About the Ultimate Decluttering TrendConfront Your Own Mortality
PHOTO 14 of 14READ LESS -Swedish Death Cleaning can also be a healthy way to address our own mortality. “We must all talk about death," writes Magnusson. "If it’s too hard to address, then death cleaning can be a way to start the conversation."Photo Credit: Pexels.comSource: www.pexels.com
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