Some people choose to add a separate component to their estate planning. Swedish death cleaning, or döstädning, is a type of physical and digital purge of all the items that have clogged up your life.
The goal is twofold: You want to spare your surviving loved ones the hassle of rooting through decades of your past life, and you want to preserve a semblance of your own privacy by removing anything that could cause your friends and family distress or tarnish your memory.
What all it entails
Take a good look around your house. Even the neatest people likely have a closet, drawer or even room chockfull of unnecessary items. While there is no need to dispose of anything valuable or meaningful, decluttering can streamline your life and give you peace of mind.
On the surface, toss old magazines and paperwork that you no longer need. As you progress through the house, you may want to fill three bins — one to keep, one to donate or sell and one for the rubbish bin. Recycle what you can and let the rest go.
Review your digital footprint
Log onto accounts and download and save important photos and files that your survivors can access. Delete any accounts or files you prefer to keep private. If you have any cryptocurrency or NFTs, make sure that the executor of your estate can access these accounts or they will be lost to posterity.
It’s never to early to start
While many people wait until their golden years to begin purging their lives of remnants, none of us have a lease on life. In addition to drafting and signing all your estate documents, this could be one final task to help you prepare for the inevitability of death.
