“String Beans From September 1945”: 45 “Treasures” People Found In Old Houses

It’s safe to assume that many of these finds were unearthed when cleaning. And while that might not be a fun activity in and of itself, it does get more exciting when you find something dating years, if not decades, back.

Be that as it may, finding something really old or exciting when cleaning is less likely than finding clutter. Few homes can remain clutter-free for a long time, and chances are, you, too, have at least that everything drawer, where small, unnecessary items go to end their days.

Whether it’s one drawer or an entire room, the clutter in our homes isn’t doing us much good. In an episode of Speaking of Psychology, Deacon Joseph Ferrari, PhD, professor of psychology and Saint Vincent DePaul Distinguished Professor at DePaul University in Chicago, noted that there’s a negative correlation between life satisfaction and clutter. The more clutter people have, the lower they report life satisfaction and the greater the stress they experience.

Talking about why it is quite difficult to declutter your home, Dn. Joseph Ferrari, PhD, noted that it can be emotionally stressful or triggering; though, not necessarily in a negative way.

“When I pick the item up, it might bring me joy or happiness,” the psychologist pointed out. “I may look at it, I say, ‘Oh, I remember that good time we had. I got to keep that.’ Or I pick it up and I say, ‘Oh, yes, that was a really tough time in my life. That was some relationship, and I want to avoid it.’ So it could be a trigger to something in the past. And that’s one of the reasons it’s harder to declutter because it brings back either positive or negative emotions.”

Another reason why it’s so hard to declutter is people. Yes, people, especially those you share your space and belongings with.

“Most of the time, the decision to keep or get rid of something is not just my own,” Dn. Ferrari said. “Perhaps you have a partner. Perhaps you’re living with someone. Perhaps there’s someone else, others in your life. So you want to throw it away, but the other people say, ‘No, we need to keep it.’ So it may not be your own decision. And getting rid of it would cause a conflict.”

While it might not be easy to convince yourself—or your partner, roommate, or family member—to declutter the home and maybe throw some things out, doing that has several benefits. Not only does decluttering minimize stress levels, it also reportedly eliminates as much as 40% of housework in an average home.

If this list made you curious about what you can find in your own home, consider this a reminder that it’s time to declutter! Who knows, maybe you’ll find something interesting in that drawer of yours.