the hidden cost of holding on

We clutch our possessions like lifelines, convinced that letting go means losing something valuable. But what if the real loss is happening every day we hold on?

Author Courtney Carver reveals a profound truth: clutter isn't just about overflowing closets or crowded countertops. Every item we keep demands a tax—not just physical space, but mental bandwidth, emotional energy, and inner peace. That stack of magazines "we'll read someday" whispers guilt. The drawer of tangled cables creates low-level anxiety. The clothes that no longer fit carry the weight of unmet expectations.

We vastly underestimate the psychological burden of our belongings. Each possession requires decisions: where to store it, when to use it, whether to keep it. This constant mental inventory creates a background hum of stress we've learned to ignore, like living next to a highway.

The fear of letting go feels immediate and sharp—what if we need it later? But this momentary discomfort pales against the chronic drain of carrying too much. Holding onto excess is like choosing to carry a heavy backpack everywhere, forever, rather than feeling the brief vulnerability of setting it down.

The mathematics are simple: one moment of release versus endless days of carrying. One decision to let go versus countless micro-decisions about what to do with what we keep. One small act of courage versus a lifetime of mental clutter weighing us down.

Perhaps the question isn't whether we can afford to let go, but whether we can afford not to. Sometimes the greatest act of self-care is opening our hands and allowing what no longer serves us to fall away.