the gentle art of swedish death cleaning summary

In spite of its name, this Nordic tradition is actually more happy and wholesome than it is hardcore. When I read the words Swedish Death Cleaning, my first thought was, “How morbid!” If you’re found this article, you might be thinking along the same lines as me. No, Swedish Death Cleaning has nothing to do with zombies who enjoy dusting, and no, this trending topic has nothing to do with the similarly-sounding genre of music, Swedish death metal.

When I asked her what she was up to, she replied, “Have you heard of Swedish Death Cleaning?” Um, excuse me? It was clear that she was doing some deep cleaning.

Then four more texts came my way, each containing a picture or memory of something from the past. Then I got another text - my mom had found an old photo that she wanted to share with me. She was asking me if I wanted a collection of magazines that she had held onto from my childhood (if you’re curious, it was a collection of Cricket magazines from the late 70s). In the end, the death cleaning process can be a rewarding way of surrounding ourselves with the items that are most meaningful, while making it easier for those we leave behind.I got a text the other day from my mom. Magnusson suggests that we consider what belongings friends and family will want once we’ve died and begin the process of giving away items to people who could use them now. It can be a way to begin a conversation with loved ones about death, and how we want to be remembered after death.

Involving others is an important concept in Swedish death cleaning. Sorting through digital files like music, photos and computer hard drives is also part of the decluttering process, including writing down passwords for loved ones to access after death. Paring down belongings can help reduce stress levels and better identify the things that truly bring us joy. Decluttering and organizing our physical possessions and digital files can make everyday life run more smoothly and save our loved ones from having to make decisions about what to keep or discard. In the book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, the author Margareta Magnusson encourages us to start thinking about death cleaning early so we can enjoy life without being hindered by belongings we no longer need. The idea of Swedish death cleaning is to go through our possessions before we die, so it isn’t such a burden for those we leave behind. If you’ve ever had to clean out the home of a loved one after they passed, you’ll know how challenging it is to sort through a lifetime of belongings while grieving their loss.

The gentle art of swedish death cleaning summary