I was looking in my bathroom cabinet yesterday and I saw a couple of beauty products that I haven’t used in years. I’ve picked them up to throw them away a couple times, but each time I change my mind as soon as I handle them.

Professional Organizer Judith Kohlberg noticed this same phenomenon with some of her clients.  It’s called kinesthetic sympathy. As soon as you touch it, you feel an emotional attachment that wasn’t there previously.  And emotional attachments make it harder to let go, even when you motivated to clear the clutter.

Here’s a remedy for those who want to purge and want to avoid the pitfall of kinesthetic sympathy: have a friend be your hands. You look at each item but DO NOT TOUCH it. Once you make your decision, your friend puts the item in the donate box. Even better is when your friend will take the box out of the house for you!

Now, choose this friend carefully. You want someone who understands that this is still YOUR decision and is willing to literally just lend a hand.

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