We live in a land of abundance where everyone has enough and where shopping is a national pastime.
You will agree that in Dubai, it’s never easy to refrain from buying new things. There are too many stores, too many brands, too many special offers and too much temptation. Why would anyone want to go on a shopping detox? For me, however, it’s always been different. I haven’t been big on collecting things and my friends know me as “the detox queen”; and detox happens every day in every area of my life. It’s not just detox in my diet but life in general. I have never been a hoarder anyway, but two years ago, in the month of September — which is incidentally my birthday month — I decided to play a new game. I gave gifts instead of receiving them. That was the most liberating thing I did for myself, and have continued to do that every day since.
Starting from my workspace, my wardrobe, to my personal belongings, I got rid of everything that I hadn’t used in the last six months and I’ve never felt better. It did take some effort to build that muscle but I now have my system set.
A good way to start is by using the effective “four bag” method: Take out four big bags or boxes. Then mark them: Throw; Donate; Keep; Relocate; and sort out all your things into them.
As a rule, I have stopped buying anything that I don’t intend to use more than five times.
I saw something useful on the Oprah show once for those who can’t decide which items from their wardrobe to keep or discard. Put all your clothes on hangers in reverse direction. Once you wear them, put them back in the correct direction. After six months, you can see which to keep and which are to go.
Decluttering is a wonderful cleansing process and it has helped me evolve as a person. Holding on to things that no longer serve you is a huge burden to carry, and it’s easy to remedy. As my birthday approaches later this month, I have decided that I will give away one item a day so in one year, I will have given away 365 items.
— Follow Uma on social media on @umagd.
