A Different Approach to De-cluttering
Science shows taking a picture of an item to preserve the memories will allow people to let go.
It is May and with it comes warmer temperatures, blooming flowers, and a opportunity to clean out the garage or attic that seems to collect everything throughout the year. With spring cleaning comes the process of deciding what stays and what goes, which can be difficult especially when good memories are associated. You're probably thinking if only there was a way to keep the memories without having to store the object in the attic or garage until the next spring. Well science offers a solution, take a picture of the item and keep that instead of the object itself.
Researchers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas, set out to find out if people would be more willing to let go of some of their clutter if they were able to keep the memory alive by taking a picture. They held a donation drive for 797 students at Penn state with two different advertisement strategies to see which group would donate more before their winter break. They found the group with the campaign urging students take a picture of their items then donate them donated about 15% more items than the group just asking students to donate. This approach may not work for everyone, or every item, but it might be a good idea to give it a try the next time you are looking to de-clutter.
No comments:
Post a Comment