The concept of decluttering our homes—and our lives—has become increasingly popular in recent years. We have the TV series “Sort Out Your Life," and in Sweden, the trend of “death decluttering” is encouraging older adults to intentionally sort their belongings so they don’t leave the burden to others later.
This last year, I’ve been on my own decluttering journey in our home of 35 years. It started when we repolished our lounge floors and had to move everything out: every photo, every knick-knack, and hundreds of books. The room felt so spacious when it was empty that it made me rethink what needed to come back in. That was the beginning of something much deeper—and surprisingly emotional!
Marie Kondo Meets EFT
We started by donating four boxes of old books, but still had around 400 left. A quick Google search brought up Marie Kondo’s suggestion to keep only items that spark joy. Even after trying this, I still wanted to keep around 300—far more than expected. That’s when I realised I needed a different approach. Why not try some some self-care EFT?
One book—a bridal and wedding ideas book from my early twenties—triggered a strong SUDS of 9 on "resistance to letting this book go". Tapping just a few rounds of the standard protocol (basic recipe) on “Even though I have all this resistance to letting this book go” revealed that the problem wasn’t letting go of the book, but rather, letting go of a reminder of a happy, simple time in my life. After a few rounds, the resistance dropped to a 3 and I decided to keep it, even if I might only look at it again once every 5 to 10 years. That insight made sorting the remaining books much easier.
Emotions in a Bookcase
Next came the furniture. We decided to replace our heavy, dark bookcase with a white one. I listed the bookcase on a community online forum. However, when someone agreed to collect it, an unexpected emotional discomfort bubbled up. I started with global tapping on that general discomfort.
This time, the classic EFT principle was again relevant: The problem is never the problem. The bookcase itself had no sentimental value. Instead, tapping on that discomfort led to a memory from decades ago, when we sold many of our belongings before migrating to Australia. We later regretted selling some of those. When I tapped on all that regret, and also some related grief at leaving everyone back home, I felt much lighter.
I also realised that the bookcase—which we’d actually purchased in Australia, not brought with us—symbolised something much deeper: safety, stability, and a desire to hold onto things after a major life upheaval. Once I tapped through those layers, the discomfort eased and I sold it feeling peaceful.
And Thank You to a Doll
Finally, I want to share that later, while decluttering another room, I found my childhood doll—a scruffy old Tiny Tears. She was never a favourite toy by any means, but I felt surprisingly reluctant to get rid of her. So. I sat her in front of me and tapped globally: “Even though there’s something about letting you go, I accept myself anyway.” After a few rounds, I felt the need to tune in to my younger self. I could sense her being furious—SUDS 10-plus—but I didn’t know why.
I tapped surrogately for her : “Even though you’re furious about this doll and you want to throw it across the room, I accept you anyway.” I then sensed anger that she didn’t want a cold plastic doll from her parents; she wanted warm hugs and time with them! I continued tapping on this anger, which then turned to sadness and fear that if she expressed how she really felt, she would get shouted at or smacked.
Once we tapped that “sadness and fear” from SUDS 8 down to 0, I realised that for years that doll had symbolised emotional absence, not play—which is probably why she never felt special! I’m still deciding what to do with the doll, but the EFT process gave me a valuable insight into my childhood relationships.
Emotional Freedom While You Declutter
So, if you’re decluttering, maybe don’t rush to throw everything out. Instead, use the process to explore the emotions attached to your belongings! EFT can help you clear not only your physical space but also the deeper stories and blocks behind it.
For me, decluttering became more than making decisions; it became a journey of revisiting the past, understanding myself, and making physical and emotional room for what comes next.
I encourage you to give this a go! And the two EFTi articles linked below offer practical strategies on how to declutter.
Ingrid Dintner: The Ultimate Clutter Cleanse
Craig Weiner: Tidy This! Five powerful questions and four tapping tips to declutter your life
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Lareen Newman, Ph.D., is an EFTi advanced EFT practitioner and trainer-in-training based in Adelaide, Australia.
Image credit: Ed Robertson on Unsplash
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