Downsizing to a home with a smaller footprint or simply because you're ready for less "stuff" are two of the most common reasons that older adults find themselves de-cluttering a living space, but don’t limit yourself to a major life event like moving house to get your home in order. A clutter-free senior apartment or house has multiple benefits, including a healthier, stress-free environment.
Clutter Free for Health and Safety
Reducing the clutter in your home can be the first step toward a healthier lifestyle, no matter your age.
Less clutter means fewer items to collect dust, dirt, and grime, which reduces airborne allergens that trigger asthma and allergies and aggravate other upper respiratory conditions. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAA&I), "Allergic diseases, which include asthma, are the fifth most prevalent chronic diseases in all ages.”
When you de-clutter a senior apartment or home, you're clearing space for easier and safer movement. Removing unnecessary area rugs, knick-knacks that sit on the floor, or other items that can contribute to a slip and fall greatly improves the safety of your home and minimizes the chance that you’ll suffer a life-changing injury.
Clutter and Stress
De-cluttering is a great way to reduce stress. As psychologist Dr. Sherrie Bourg Carter noted in a Psychology Today article, "Messy homes and work spaces leave us feeling anxious, helpless, and overwhelmed." Clutter does indeed cause stress. It's stressful to be surrounded by mountains of stuff, even if it's just books, magazines, and papers. Clutter creates anxiety and makes it difficult for you to relax mentally as well as physically. It's amazing how refreshed (and refreshing) a room can feel, even after de-cluttering just one drawer or removing one stack of magazines.
De-clutter to Help Others and the Environment
Finally, getting around to dealing with unwanted or unneeded items offers the perfect opportunity to donate to charities or make a little extra money. Any clothing or household goods in good repair that you may have kicking around the house can find a good home with a family in need if you donate it to a local charity. When you’re moving into a senior apartment that has only two bedrooms, that third bedroom set from your house could be given to a family member or sold rather than stored. This cycle of reusing and re-purposing goods is environmentally-friendly.
Clutter-Free Living = Time and Money Savings
Having less stuff means that regular housework and home maintenance tasks don’t take as long. You'll have more time to enjoy your home, family, and friends. Once you commit to a clutter-free lifestyle, you'll also discover that the temptation to buy things is minimal, which saves money. No more spending on a whim for something that just becomes a piece of clutter.
Easy De-cluttering Techniques
With the right techniques, anyone at any age can de-clutter their home and living space without too much effort. The easiest way to start is to make three piles for each room: to keep, to sell/donate, and to trash. In general, the smallest pile should be the “to keep” pile. Just take things slowly. Go one project at a time. A project doesn't have to be an entire room or even a full closet. Start with de-cluttering the kitchen junk drawer and then tackle the basket of magazines that sits in the living room. Take on the de-cluttering of the kitchen by sorting through one cabinet or drawer a day. If one goes fast and easy, move on to a second.
It takes time and patience to transform an apartment or house into a clutter-free living space, but with the right plan, patience, and plenty of determination, you can successfully de-clutter any space.
