Senior to Senior: Declutter Your Home

Well, have you done it yet? Clutter sneaks up on you, and most everyone responds by hiding it away in attics, basements, or spare bedrooms. Before long, you have lost control. You have salvaged more “stuff” than you could use in two lifetimes. Everyone has a junk drawer, or two or three, and everyone has a spare room that ends up being a repository of things to deal with later. Today, when you are being forced to spend most of your time at home, you can no longer afford to have rooms that serves no purpose. Your home is no longer just a place to eat, sleep, and touch bases. For many, due to the pandemic, it has become necessary to turn spare rooms into home gyms, reading rooms, hobby rooms, offices, and/or school rooms. Stop saving stuff! Studies have shown that clutter interferes with the quality of your life. If you can admit that, you are half way there. The process of deciding what to keep and what to give away is important; dozens of books, podcasts and websites bring “how-to” information to your fingertips. In normal times you might have hired a professional organizer, but today, you are likely trying to do it yourself. At the moment your options are limited. The pandemic has made yard sales risky, some charitable drop off centers are closed, and bulk trash pickups may be limited. You can still look to local recycling programs, charities, junk removal businesses, or storage rental units. Probably the main thing to remember, sad as it seems, is that heirlooms, duplicate appliances, clothes, or the odd white elephants will never be used. Except for a few cherished items, your kids don’t want your stuff. Consider donating historic memorabilia to museums, or give other items to charitable organizations. It is easier to let go of items that you do not love when you know they will be going to someone in need. Streamline your life. Declutter, rearrange, and reorganize. Pandemic or not, it is time to rid of your clutter and use your extra spaces for something meaningful.