7 Things in Your House That Are Bumming You Out

You may not even realize it
By Daniel Kay,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 13, 2016 12:03 PM CST
7 Things in Your House That Are Bumming You Out
Look at all that light!   (Natlie Mancuso/Alyse Rodriguez via AP)

Bummed and not sure why? Your home decor might be bringing you down. The Houston Chronicle has a list of 13 things you might want to tweak. A sampling:

  • Family heirlooms: "We hold onto heirlooms/gifts even though we don't like or enjoy them because we feel guilty giving them away," says a psychologist. They clutter up the house and take away space you could be using for things you actually like.
  • Heavy drapes: "Light and airy" drapes create a similar feeling in people, while heavy drapes can be suffocating, says a holistic design expert. Plus, they get dusty fast.

  • Childhood mementos: While some are precious, we often end up holding on to too many of these old memories, which can be an emotional drag. "Facing up to the fact that a former treasure no longer holds its old magic is to acknowledge that we ourselves have changed," says an expert.
  • Old books: Keep only those you really love, and let go of the rest, says an expert. The more you keep, the more emotionally draining it is to eventually go through them.
  • Supplies for that hobby you never really got into: We keep these as a form of guilt, says Francine Jay, author of the Miss Minimalist blog, but failing to get rid of them if you're not going to use them just creates a vicious "cycle of guilt and anxiety."
  • Broken items: You plan to fix them someday, but someday never comes. A feng shui expert says you'd be happier if you just threw them away.
  • Old collections: Sure, you put a lot of time into your vintage record collection, but once you're not into it anymore, keeping it around will just make you feel bad. To help yourself feel like you won't lose that connection to your former self, save one piece that represents the whole collection and get rid of the rest, says a psychiatrist.
Click for the complete list. (More lists stories.)

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