Alright, let’s talk about magazines. For years, I was swimming in them. Stacks everywhere. You know the scene – coffee table buried, nightstand overflowing, even a pile in the corner that started small and somehow grew into a leaning tower of paper.
I kept telling myself I’d get back to them. There was that one article I wanted to re-read, that other issue with the great photos. Yeah, right. Mostly they just sat there, collecting dust and guilt.
The Breaking Point
The moment came when I was looking for something completely unrelated, I think it was my spare keys. Had to shift a stack of magazines that was blocking a drawer. Took real effort. And I just stopped and looked at this pile. Then at the other piles. And I thought, “What am I even doing?” None of this stuff was making my life better. It was just… there. Heavy. Inert.
So, I decided that weekend was it. Operation Adieu Magazine was a go. No more excuses.
The Great Purge
I started hauling them out into the living room. Man, there were more than I thought. Filled up half the floor space. Felt a bit ridiculous, honestly.
Sorting through them was the main job. Took hours. Here’s how I tackled it, roughly:
- Immediate Trash: Anything that looked vaguely like junk mail, old news, stuff I didn’t even remember buying. Straight into the recycling bag. This was the biggest pile, thankfully.
- The “Maybe” Pile: Magazines with recipes, specific tutorials, or articles I thought I might need. I was ruthless here. Tore out maybe five or six actual pages in total. The rest of the magazine? Recycling.
- Nostalgia Traps: Found some old issues from my younger days. Covers brought back memories. Flipped through a couple. Realized the memories were in my head, not really in the paper. Took a deep breath. Tossed ’em. This was the hardest part. Felt like throwing away a piece of the past, you know? But it had to be done.
Didn’t try to sell anything. Too much hassle for maybe a few bucks. Didn’t donate either, most were too old or specific. Just focused on getting them out. Bag after bag went into the recycling bin. It was strangely satisfying watching the stacks shrink.
Life After Magazines
Once it was done, the apartment felt… lighter. Cleaner. More space, physically and mentally. No more piles judging me for not reading them.
I cancelled the few subscriptions I still had active. Do I miss them? Honestly, not really. If there’s a specific article I want to read, I can usually find it online. Sometimes I might flick through one at a cafe or waiting room, but the urge to buy and hoard? Gone.
It’s funny how you get attached to stuff. This whole clear-out reminded me of when I finally ditched my ancient desktop computer tower. Kept it for years ‘just in case’. Took up loads of space under the desk. When I finally hauled it to the e-waste depot, I felt nothing but relief. Same thing with the magazines. Getting rid of the physical clutter somehow clears out mental clutter too. Less stuff owning you, you know? Feels good. Just simpler.
