"I think a lot of people overpack out of fear. They’re afraid they’re going to need an article of clothing and regret not having brought it. Fear of regret is a big motivator that affects a lot of people. I think some people overpack just because they’re indecisive. It’s easier to throw items into a suitcase than it is to make choices about what to bring," Janine told us about why some people might overpack.
She added that she isn't sure that everyone is naturally inclined to overpack. "I don’t overpack, for example, because I learned early on that having a heavy suitcase makes traveling much less enjoyable. So I think it depends on people’s priorities. I’m motivated by ease. But someone who is motivated by fear of regret might naturally overpack," she pointed out.
We also wanted to find out the best way to control our urge to overpack. Janine, who is a great advocate of packing light, encourages people to control this urge by doing a bit of planning beforehand.
"I think one way to do that is take a little time to plan what you’re going to wear. Think about creating outfits that reuse articles of clothing (and shoes). I even make a list of what I plan to wear every day so I don’t have to make a decision every morning of my trip. If you know that you’ll have enough to wear, then it’s easier to resist the urge to overpack," Janine explained.
"It takes more planning to pack light. But the extra time spent figuring out what you’ll wear results in saved time and energy when you don’t have to lug a heavy suitcase around."
Professional organizer Janine points out that there are plenty of benefits to packing light. The first obvious pro is that, well, your suitcase is lighter. So it’ll be easier to lug about. (Unless you want your case to be heavy so that carrying it doubles as exercise. In that case—don’t let us stop you.)
Secondly, the fewer clothes you pack, the easier it’ll be to dress. Choosing from just two outfits is far easier than if you drag your entire wardrobe to the seaside. Third of all, the less you pack, the less you’ll have to unpack. And we all know how much unpacking is bogus. So much so that some of us (not pointing any fingers) might avoid doing it for a week after we get back from a trip. You can check out some more of Janine's tips for packing light right here.
Meanwhile, HuffPost stresses that the reason some of us might be packing too many things in our luggage is that we’re preparing for a whole bunch of worst-case scenarios. We want to be prepared for every single eventuality so much, we end up over-stressing.
But here’s the magical tip that will make you relax: if you find out that you absolutely need something on your trip and you haven’t packed it, you can always buy it at your destination. Whether it’s a jacket or a toothbrush.
Something that I’m personally guilty of is bringing way too many books whenever I go out of town. So this little hint from Elite Daily is all for me but might work for you, too, if you’re as much a Ravenclaw as I am—use technology to your advantage.
Instead of bringing a stack of books, get the e-book versions and maybe bring just one light book for the pleasant feeling of flipping real pages. So the next time I’m on holiday, I’ll do my best not to overpack. No promises, though! Airport bookshops are always hard to resist.
