What is Swedish Death Cleaning?
It is called “döstädning” in Swedish. It is a concept has been around for many years in Swedish culture and tradition. It is then made popular by Margareta Magnusson in her book “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Clutter” published in 2017. Swedish Death Cleaning is about decluttering and organizing your home to make it easier for your loved ones to take care of after your death.
In her book she shares personal stories and practical tips in how to approach decluttering. In one story, she wrote about a beautiful but cumbersome dining table that was passed down from generation to generation. The table does have sentimental value but it was not practical for her and also her children doesn’t want to inherit it. She decided to sell the table and have a great family vacation with the money she earned from the sales. This experience taught her to let go of physical items and she was able to create great memories with her family. It is a win win situation.
The goal is to simplify your life and reduce what you own. You will go through the decluttering process and reduce burden on your family whoever will be dealing with your stuff after you are gone. It’s not just tidying up, but you need to be responsible and curate your stuff to leave behind what would be meaningful to your family legacy.
Swedish Death Cleaning emphasizes on leaving behind a meaningful legacy because that way it encourages people to reflect on their lives. Think about what you would want to be remembered by. Do you want to be known as the cluttered grandma who hoards random news clippings? We want you to take the proactive steps and start decluttering today. You don’t have to wait until you in your death bed to declutter.