The trend of trashing things vs. donating them

You might have noticed a spike in advice to trash usable things in good condition so people can feel less stressed in the now--they don't feel they have enough bandwidth to drop things off at the thrift store, so they trash the items and get the instant gratification of less stuff. Proponents say that self-care is more important in the moment. I can understand the desire to decrease stress and prioritize mental health. This trash-it philosophy is touted by author KC Davis, and her advice has been cited and picked up by declutter gurus I like (such as Dawn Madsen). I don't personally follow KC Davis, but her advice has sure had a ripple effect. 

I don't find this advice ethical due to the environmental impact and taking away from thrift stores. Yes, trashing things produces a very instant result by getting things out of the house. But if people go grocery shopping and get gas, go to various appointments, and run other errands, then they are pretty capable of donating items in most cities. It must be a mental block. If people struggle with procrastination and/or mental health, the environment should not be unnecessarily impacted in the name of self-care. Not donating also takes away from thrift stores, their workers, and their shoppers who want low-cost items. I know there are mental health professionals who would disagree on this topic as well. We can take good care of ourselves and also work on taking steps to get to thrift stores or arrange pickups. If you live in a city (like I do) where charities or thrift stores will pick up your items, take advantage of the free service. Pickups can be arranged online or by phone. 

Because I think not donating items in truly good condition is a type of task avoidance, here is a link to procrastination advice from Dr. Timothy Pychl, who specialized in procrastination research. He says procrastination is a way to manage feelings and cope, but of course it can cause problems. You can also find various podcast interviews with him online.

Timothy A Pychyl Ph.D. Timothy A. Pychyl, Ph.D., is an associate professor of psychology at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, where he specializes in the study of procrastination. www.psychologytoday.com

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As the Fly Lady says, you can bless others with your stuff. Best wishes with your decluttering! 

Some recommendations for your current decluttering...

 I haven't posted in ages--hello, pandemic!--but I definitely saw how when things got stressful, my clutter became all the more visible. I've found some positive and kind declutter experts to recommend if you're reading this. 

The asynchronous Take Your House Back Course gives you a year's access to three ladies' videos, and they know their stuff! I most relate to author Dana K. White who runs her own site, A Slob Comes Clean. They also do Facebook Live events if you want a sense of interaction or live events. I also found minimalism scary or judgement for years, but their resident minimalist Dawn Madsen makes it understandable and not scary. I'm not at that level of decluttering, but she definitely helped me get rid of a lot of random stuff in my kitchen--I had a pressure cooker I never fully used but inherited, along with a random silver tray that went with an already-departed bacon press (?!). 

I just started a good read on Kindle that deals with emotions and guilt--it's called 
Decluttering as Yourself: A Book for People Who Feel Guilty About Their Clutter (The Declutter Bits Series) by Wendy Wiseman. 

It has a bit of colorful language, but so far I really like how she addresses that being tidy does not make one morally superior, etc. (I've met a couple very judgmental tidy people and got why she addressed that.)

I hope you are healthy and well! 💜