Senior Spotlight: Living With Less Clutter

Welcome back to the Bobbi Decker Senior Spotlight! You may know that one of the primary concerns older adults have is when & how to downsize… and what to do with all of that stuff! Over the years, we have featured dozens of tips, ideas and strategies as well as shared the support of senior move managers. But this week we wanted to take a more proactive approach and encourage you to not just clear clutter after the fact – but stop it before it starts! 

This week, Next Avenue featured a read titled ‘How to Prevent Clutter From Piling Up for Good.’ Here are the top 5 tips for clearing as you go – rather than letting stuff pile up for years (or decades!). 

#1: Make sure everything has a place to ‘live.’ Label containers and drawers so you know what you have already (to avoid buying duplicates!) and to put items where they should go (instead of on the counter or in a pile). 

#2: Set up systems in your home that regularly manage quantity. Keep a set number of hangers in your closet (when full, it’s time to purge!). Another tip is to keep donation boxes in high traffic areas of your home so it’s easy to pop things in as you pass by. 

#3: Edit often – and we are not talking grammar!  ‘Editing’ should be done weekly and refers to the process of sorting high-clutter areas. Spend 10 minutes a week on the junk drawer, the pantry and the entry table deciding what to keep (and put items where they live) as well as recycle, dump and donate. 

#4: Avoid overbuying. The easiest way to manage clutter is to not bring it home in the first place! Something on ‘sale’ isn’t a great deal if you were not planning on buying it to begin with. Focus on shopping in your own closets and cupboards to see what you have that you may have forgotten about! 

#5: Keep eyes on everything in your home. Out of sight = out of mind. By keeping your eyes open to all closets, counter spaces and overlooked areas (like the garage!), you can better inventory what you use, what you have and what you no longer need. 

We hope these tips have inspired you to not wait until you move to think about minimizing your stuff. Countless studies link less stuff to less stress. Science has found a direct link between clutter and cortisol (your primary stress hormone!). So, if you clean as you go now, you can not only save headaches later but enjoy more peace in the present. That is a true win-win! 

All my best,

Bobbi

Bobbi Decker
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www.bobbidecker.com

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