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The Spiritual Practice of Letting Go and Swedish Death Cleaning

November 2, 2017 By Jean Wise

Swedish Death Cleaning

Have you heard of Swedish Death Cleaning?

I read about this new idea – at least new to me – last month as I was writing the series on Healthy Spirituality about the spiritual practice of letting go. Sorting and throwing out all our physical stuff fits our exploration of letting go.

Decluttering is a form of letting go and can be extremely challenging to get rid of piles of papers and those out of sight/out of mind boxes tucked away in the basement and garage. We boldly decide to relinquish bad habits, attitudes and assumptions, but avoid the physical material we accumulate and cling to that encumbers our lives.

I am bewildered by a local television ad about the solution to having too much stuff – just rent another storage unit so you can buy more stuff. We are packrats! Collect more stuff? No, it’s time to let go.

What is Swedish Death Cleaning?

Letting go begins with the decision to move from disorder to order, burden to unburden, and confusion to clarity. It starts with mindset.

Swedish death cleaning is knowing that if you were to die today, who would clean up all your stuff? The reality is we are responsible for all the junk we accumulate and our families really don’t want most of it. On second thought, much I have stored in boxes I haven’t opened for years, I don’t want any more either.

This new trend in letting go and uncluttering stresses the slow, systematic sorting and getting rid of stuff so when you are gone that burden doesn’t fall upon family and friends.

The essential message means take responsibility for all your junk, collections, and boxes and don’t leave them for others. The ultimate purpose of death cleaning is to minimize the amount of stuff, especially meaningless clutter, that you leave behind for others to deal with.

In Sweden, the word is “döstädning.” “Dö” means “death” and “städning” means “cleaning.” The idea is to remove unnecessary things and get your home in order as you get older.

The Christian Science Monitor reported in an article that baby boomers are slowly realizing their kids don’t want their stuff.  Many baby boomers also have stored things they inherited from their parents so two generations of accumulation are stored in basements and garages.

Swedish Death Cleaning – the Book

This concept is based on the book, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to free yourself and your family from a lifetime of clutter by Margareta Magnusson.

She writes: “Death cleaning isn’t the story of death and its slow, ungainly inevitability. But rather the story of life, your life, the good memories and the bad. The good ones you keep, the bad you expunge…My motto is, if you don’t love it, lose it. If you don’t use it, lose it,”

Swedish Death Cleaning – Identifying What is Valued and Wanted

Though the name of the movement sounds harsh, the idea fits well with the spiritual practice of letting go. Reading about this concept stirred some thoughts:

  • Letting go helps me clarify what is valuable in life.
  • The upcoming holidays are great times to talk with family on what they would want and not want when Bill and I are gone. This difficult decision needs to happen in good times, not the stress filled times of sickness and dying. I remember cleaning up my mom’s house after she died and my brothers and I looking for the boxes of 027 American Flyer trains. We all longed to hold onto those as they represented happy family memories. Shocked we learned mom sold all the trains at rock bottom prices at a garage sale. I wish we had told her earlier not to let go of those trains.
  • My hubby and I have decided to bring up every Sunday one box from our basement to sort and throw out. We’ve done this the last few weeks and to our amazement, kept very little. So far the strongest and surprising feeling I’ve experience in this process is freedom – not bad at all.
  • I am learning to savor the memories in my heart, then let things pass on by donating or recycling. Time to let go.
  • I hear God calling me towards simplicity and living less encumbered. I hope I continue to pay attention to this invitation and live with less.
  • My possessions are not my identity. Nor my security.
  • Decluttering and getting rid of things no longer needed creates space in my home and more room for God in my heart.

Swedish death cleaning sounds morbid at first, but when considered helps me begin to sort and get rid of stuff. One more step in the spiritual practice of letting go.

What do you think of Swedish death cleaning?

 

 

 

 

 

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Comments

  1. Jerri Miller says

    November 13, 2017 at 12:56 pm

    I’d never heard of this practice, either, but I totally see it’s value. I’m afraid I’ve a lot of getting rid of things in my future …

    I also like the idea of how getting rid of things physically helps you mentally and spiritually. I do want to be “lighter!” ~ Jerralea

    • blankJean Wise says

      November 17, 2017 at 7:10 pm

      Hi Jerraliea, that concept was so new to me too and I have been surprised to have it come up in conversations with people. Seems like many want to simplify and downsize . I think so much are frustrated with all our stuff. I too want to live lighter.

  2. blankCeil says

    November 6, 2017 at 2:16 pm

    Hi Jean! I’d never heard of this practice, but I’d sure love my husband to sign on. He loves to save things, and I’m more of a ‘review and pitch’ type person. Well, I guess it’s just one of those things you have to balance when you’re married!
    I do like to get rid of clutter and things I really don’t use anymore. I could be more strict with myself though, like using the ‘one year’ rule.
    Food for thought!
    Ceil

    • blankJean Wise says

      November 10, 2017 at 11:29 am

      Hi Ceil, I am married to one who keeps things and likes to brag when i ask him about something and he can produce it. You mentioned the one year rule. I am cleaning out my clothes closet and trying to apply that one. Don’t think it will work on my book case though. I need to come up with a good rule for my books. way too many of them. LOL Have a great weekend.

  3. blankNancy Ruegg says

    November 6, 2017 at 12:40 pm

    Steve and I have moved twelve times over 47 years of marriage. Each time has involved a purging of our stuff–and yet there’s still more downsizing we need to tackle. Doesn’t it seem like the boxes multiply when we’re not looking?! So appreciate your wise observation: “Letting go helps me clarify what is valuable in life.” And what good advice to use the holiday family gatherings to discuss what they’d like us to keep and what they have no interest in. Oh–and thank you for the suggestion of sorting through a box per week. Great idea–and a great post, Jean!

    • blankJean Wise says

      November 10, 2017 at 11:27 am

      moving does help the purging. I haven’t moved for 33 years so you can imagine what we have accumulated. I think that is part of the appeal for me with this type of letting go. I know the kids don’t want most of it and I don’t want to burden them. Yes boxes multiply. You know what multiplies more for me? BOOKS! yikes I have too many and don’t want to part with so many of them. Need to pray about this!! Have a great weekend and so glad we got to spend time together

      • blankNancy Ruegg says

        November 12, 2017 at 7:06 pm

        Me, too. What a delight to meet you at last. I felt as though I were greeting an old friend, though, since we’ve become acquainted here and at my blog. Already looking forward to next year’s conference (hopefully in the same location) and picking up where we left off!

  4. blankLinda Stoll says

    November 5, 2017 at 5:57 pm

    Hi Jean … there’s so much we need to let go on every level. Excess possessions, useless emotions, toxic relationships … the list goes on and on, doesn’t it.

    God wants all of who we are and it’s easy to let the cares of this life in all their many facets get in the way.

    Thanks for your reminders to stay healthy in the process of loving Christ …

    • blankJean Wise says

      November 5, 2017 at 8:25 pm

      Thanks for your kind words, Linda!!

  5. blankLisa notes says

    November 2, 2017 at 4:03 pm

    I’ve never heard of that wording, but the concept is something that rolls around in my head a lot. I’m currently reading Downsizing the Family Home, which is right along these same lines. I’d love to read Swedish Death Clean Cleaning too! But more importantly, I need to do like you and start digging through boxes instead of just reading about it. ha.

    • blankJean Wise says

      November 5, 2017 at 8:24 pm

      Maybe it is our season of life – I want to get rid of stuff. We talked at church today and so many admitted to having too much stuff and had parents and grandparents things too.. I did get one box done today though.. a start.

  6. blankMartha Orlando says

    November 2, 2017 at 9:19 am

    I had never heard of this before, Jean, but what a fantastic concept! I love that Bill and you are sorting one box a week and getting rid of “stuff.” Danny and I really need to do the same thing, especially with our boxes in the garage. When we get back from our vacation next week, we will start on it!
    Blessings!

    • blankJean Wise says

      November 5, 2017 at 8:23 pm

      I did get to one box today too. only one but got it done. At this rate though I will be 150 before it is done. LOL

  7. blankHeartbridgesWritings says

    November 2, 2017 at 7:10 am

    omg I loved this post, thank you so much for sharing! I’ve never heard of swedish death cleaning and I’ll definitely give it a try, sounds like something I could use!!!!

    • blankJean Wise says

      November 5, 2017 at 8:22 pm

      ISn’t this a wild concept? I know I emptied one box today – only one but a start! LOL

Healthy Spirituality – a sacred space to nurture your faith, grow closer to God, and belong to a community, walking together on life’s journey. This blog is written by author, speaker and retreat leader Jean Wise

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