Seniors Need Organisation Too!
Seniors categorize the stress of moving similar to the stress levels associated with the death of a spouse or divorce. No kidding!
If you are a senior, or know a senior, who may be considering the stressful process of moving to a new home or location, we can help. Many in our industry also call this “right-size living.” This is a universal shift to living with less and it is a common rite of passage in life.
When you relocate, you are faced with the daunting task of re-organising your space. You have to fit everything you own into your new space….or at least that is how you initially feel. And undoubtedly, you will be overcrowded and overwhelmed.
Sentimental things are probably one of the most difficult things to let go and de-clutter. I mean these “things” are part of our history, who we used to be and what made us who we are today.
The first step in choosing what to let go of, is to be really clear about what clutter means to you. What I have found helpful, is to take a good, objective look at your items and clutter through a cost-benefit lens. This is a kind of pain versus pleasure scale. How much is it costing you to keep a particular item? How much pain is it causing you to keep it? Compare your honest answers to how much benefit or pleasure you get from keeping it…..tossing it……..donating it to a good cause. De-cluttering such sentimental items is a very personal decision.
One way to start freeing up space and maximizing storage when de-cluttering and downsizing, one of my favorite ways for those who have difficulties is an ambivalence box. This is a wonderful method you can easily try right now. It is designed for those who have great pain in parting with items. Get a large box, that can be taped shut; or has a lid. So an open box will not work.
Take this box, put a few items you are considering purging, donating or discarding. Seal the box and place it in the farthest corner of your garage. Write an expiration date and time on the box for either one month or later- – - no more than six months however. Challenge yourself and see how often you go in that box for something. If you don’t at all during the time, it’s pretty safe to say the contents can be discarded, donated or purged.
If you find yourself constantly going to the ambivalence box, then you are not ready to part with those items. You must consider a new, permanent home for those items so they get full use.
If you would like to learn more about how to get organised as a senior, helping seniors painfully relocate, or de-cluttering sentimental items, call Little Miss Efficiency Organising Services and Consulting for a consultation at 702.673.0624 or info@littlemissefficiency.com. You can also listen to Little Miss Efficiency Organising Services and Consulting’s radio appearances that stream live worldwide, on KLAV 1230 AM – The Talk of Las Vegas at www.littlemissefficiency.com. Just click on the KLAV link.
Written by Wendy A. Miller, CEO and Founder of Little Miss Efficiency Organising Services and Consulting, www.littlemissefficiency.com, 702.673.0624. COPYRIGHT: This article may not be reprinted or quoted anywhere without written permission. This email is protected by copyright. Copying of this article – or of any works presented or recommended by Wendy A. Miller – is strictly prohibited. These works may not be reprinted in any form on any website, blog, book, e-book, or any other form without the express written permission of Wendy A. Miller. All Rights Reserved.
