When Priya Rao recently lost her mother to cancer, her sister and she had to spend a lot of time clearing out years of accumulated possessions, from crockery and clothes, to shoes, books and photos. It was then that Rao decided she would start decluttering her own house, as she did not want her children to go through the physically and emotionally draining experience.
Rao has unknowingly tapped into the Swedish practice of dostadning (death cleaning), a thoughtful decluttering method that ensures your earthly possessions will be of value to loved ones after your death. The philosophy is also about facing your departure from the world in a mature fashion, as well as related to the thought that real happiness does not come from possessions, but from relationships and experiences.
[Dostadning] invites us to be intentional, so we live our legacy, not just leave it behind
Jody Adams,
professional organiser
While the Vikings and Egyptians chose to be buried with their belongings – from their swords to their jewellery (perhaps to avoid fights between their loved ones) – most of us have too many materialistic possessions, getting rid of or allocating which can prove overwhelming and onerous for our loved ones.
In The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter (2018), author Margareta Magnusson says unworn clothes and unwanted presents are some possessions you can easily get rid of, by gifting, donating or recycling.
What you might want to keep are items with sentimental value such as letters or photo albums. However, Magnusson suggests you shred and destroy anything that could be hurtful or embarrassing if found after your death. Alternately, you could put your most personal possessions in a disposable box adorned with a sticker that reads: “Please throw this away without opening it.”
Magnusson’s book has its origins in the traumatic deaths of her husband and mother. “Don't collect things you don't want,” she writes. “Someone has to take care of it one day. Death cleaning is not about dusting or mopping up; it is about a permanent form of organisation that makes your life run more smoothly. My motto is: if you don’t love it, lose it. If you don’t use it, lose it.”
While Magnusson’s book is aimed at people over 50, Jody Adams, a professional organiser who lives in Pittsburgh, says “the decluttering framework applies at nearly any age, not just when we’re older. It reminds us that now is the time to clear out the things that no longer fit into our lives.
The process of emptying drawers and cupboard spaces [can help] peel off layers of mental dust and debris
Deenaz Damania,
therapist and counsellor
"Doing so gives new use to items that would otherwise sit idle, gives voice to the stories behind the objects, and enables our loved ones to understand and value what we have when we are no longer here to use it. Ultimately, it invites us to be intentional, so we live our legacy, not just leave it behind.”
Sifting through years of accumulated possessions involves a lot of decision-making, so involve your close ones to understand better what they might value. Decluttering also is not an overnight but rather an ongoing process that takes time and effort. The upside is that gifting books and other treasured items or sending clothes to charity can be an enriching experience.
In current times, we also accumulate a lot of digital clutter, from emails to online banking and social media accounts. Putting these in order is also a good idea, writes Magnusson, who suggests keeping a book of passwords so family members can access your accounts.
Health-wise, decluttering is associated with less stress and more productivity. “It is such an important concept for a psychotherapist to work with. The process of emptying drawers and cupboard spaces [can help] peel off layers of mental dust and debris,” says therapist and counsellor Deenaz Damania. “Decluttering one's physical environment is a great way to kickstart the process of mental clarity by ridding the mind of unwanted, unhappy thoughts and the heart of sad emotions.”
Crucially, be organised but not obsessive. Decluttering is an ongoing process that’s never truly finished because, as Magnusson puts it: “You don’t know when you are going to die, so death cleaning goes on and on.”
Race card
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
7.05pm: Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m
7.40pm: UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,600m
9.50pm: Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m
9.25pm: Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Results
Stage 7:
1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29
2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time
3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
Match info
Deccan Gladiators 87-8
Asif Khan 25, Dwayne Bravo 2-16
Maratha Arabians 89-2
Chadwick Walton 51 not out
Arabians won the final by eight wickets
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8
Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Price: from Dh850,000
On sale: now
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
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Illegal%20shipments%20intercepted%20in%20Gulf%20region
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Bridgerton%20season%20three%20-%20part%20one
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Results:
First Test: New Zealand 30 British & Irish Lions 15
Second Test: New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24
Third Test: New Zealand 15 British & Irish Lions 15
ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202-litre%204-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E153hp%20at%206%2C000rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E200Nm%20at%204%2C000rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E6-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E6.3L%2F100km%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDh106%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
RACE CARD
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 1,000m
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Al Ain Mile Group 3 (PA) Dh350,000 1,600m
8pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Amith's selections:
5pm: AF Sail
5.30pm: Dahawi
6pm: Taajer
6.30pm: Pharitz Oubai
7pm: Winked
7.30pm: Shahm
8pm: Raniah
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014
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Overall head-to-head
Federer 6-1 Cilic
Head-to-head at Wimbledon
Federer 1-0 Cilic
Grand Slams titles
Federer 18-1 Cilic
Best Wimbledon performance
Federer: Winner (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012)
Cilic: Final (2017*)
