Let’s talk about stuff. Everyone has stuff, everyone likes their stuff. But sometimes, you find yourself with way too much stuff. Your closets are full, and you run out of cabinet space. Sometimes when going through your stuff, you find things you forgot you even owned. And, yet most of the time, you can’t find those things you need.
Today, we’re going to explore decluttering. I want to share what a few of the common “clutter culprits” are and where they lurk. And also share a few tips to help you on your “decluttering journey.”
This is something that everyone should do at any stage of life. But I believe seniors need to be more focused on decluttering because decluttering is the precursor to downsizing – something most seniors experience.
And, there are even psychological benefits to decluttering. It has been scientifically proven that clutter and mental health are connected. Researchers have found that clutter makes it harder for your brain to focus and clutter increases stress. Here are three simple tips to help you start decluttering.
The first tip is to “Start Small.” Tell yourself you’re only going to spend 15 or 30 minutes the first day decluttering so you can motivate yourself to start. Pick the easiest project to accomplish first, it will give you confidence to continue – like choosing one drawer or one cabinet. Don’t say “tomorrow morning, I’m going to clean out the attic.” That would scare anyone!
A bathroom cabinet or drawer houses many common clutter culprits. One of the worst is old medicines. Prescription medicines and over the counter medicines do expire, and you shouldn’t throw them in the garbage, down the drain or flush them down the toilet – very bad for the environment. As you are purging your old prescriptions, take them to a drop off site. There are permanent drug disposal boxes located at some police departments or pharmacies. But not all – so be sure to check online first.
Tip #2 is to “Think Duplicates.” Look at any space with the intention of getting rid of duplicates, triplicates or worse! I recently did my own decluttering project. In my kitchen a huge “clutter culprit” are bags – paper bags and plastic bags. Who needs over 45 bags? I guess I thought I did. Now I have 10.
And how many vases do I need?
How about plastic serving trays and serving utensils?!
A good objective is to target duplicates!
Tip #3 – “Motivate yourself with cool new organizational toys.” I’m embarrassed to say I found my “purse purgatory.”
And taking my own tip, I got a cool new purse hanger organizer that has created my “purse heaven!”
Some people have more drawer space than closet space, but I have more closet space than drawer space. I went to my dresser and first donated duplicate sweaters. I told myself, “you don’t need 5 black turtlenecks.” And then, to help overstuffed drawers, this hanging shelf unit is great for bulky sweaters, sweatshirts, and hats.
And I think the older you are, the more you cling to paper and old documents. l, certainly, am in that age category where I love my paper! You want to make sure you keep important documents for the required time, but you don’t want to keep what you don’t need. I found a great website that will guide you through all the rules of keeping important documents – it’s www.houselogic.com/finances-taxes/taxes/how-long-to-keep-tax-records/. But I found I still needed to purge some paper.
As I mentioned, decluttering is a precursor to downsizing. And, if you keep up with continual decluttering, you will thank yourself when it comes time to downsize.