You finally meet your soul mate and decide to take the relationship to the next level, or even marry him, only to soon find out he’s a hopeless pack-rat. Where his sweet, sentimental character is an attractive attribute, possibly playing a big role in your falling in love with him to begin with, his desire to hold on to stacks and boxes of useless memorabilia and collectibles is a definite turn off. Finding your house getting more and more cluttered by the day leads to frequent arguing and frustration. Included in this post are a few tips that may be helpful in teaching your man how to let go of things.
The most important step to “letting go” is finding the true reasons why a person wants to hold on to things. Where some people may have a mild case of the “pack-rat” syndrome, others may have a severe case, leaving you searching for an empty place to sit on the couch or trying to find a place on your dinner table to set your plate. In severe cases, such as that of hoarding, it may be necessary to seek the help of a professional to find the source of the behavior and treat it accordingly. Finding the source of the problem or getting your man to admit to why he doesn’t like to let go of things may take a while. It’s not an overnight process, so it’s important to be patient and supportive while he goes through the process of understanding and changing this behavior.
Dividing the items that are cluttering your house, such as old clothing, magazines and books, old papers and sentimental collectibles, in different piles, may be helpful in sorting out what needs to stay and what needs to go. Your partner may be more apt to let go of a few things if you suggest selling the items at a yard sale, in a consignment shop or on an online auction site, such as eBay. Another option may be to donate the items to charity. The idea of making a little extra cash or contributing to the needy may be enough incentive to get your partner to let go of a few things that he no longer uses or needs. You can also clear up some home space while keeping his precious stuff in self storage facilities like Gatineau storage.
Letting Go…
Items that your partner is hopelessly attached to and plans to keep “forever” should be neatly packed away in a plastic container and placed in storage. This gives your partner the assurance of knowing that his items are safe and can be retrieved at any time, and it gives you the opportunity to do some de-cluttering. Items such as books and magazines that your partner no longer needs can be donated to your local library or sold to a used book store. If there are magazines or books that he refuses to give up, or hasn’t yet read, they should be neatly stored in a container and kept in a closet or placed on a bookshelf for easy access.
Helping your partner sort through old papers that he’s been keeping for years and years, and assuring him that he will never need the majority of the papers again, may convince him to finally “lay some of them to rest.” However, tax records, certain bills and bank records should be kept for several years before discarding. The papers your partner just can’t seem to let go of should be placed in a container or sturdy box and stored away in a safe place.
Though living with a pack-rat may sometimes be frustrating and overwhelming, there is always hope. There are plenty of books available on the subject as well as information online. A little research, patience, communication and the willingness to listen will go a long way in helping you and your partner resolve these matters and move forward with your relationship.
{ 0 comments… add one now }