By Pam Alberts
Let’s face it. De-cluttering your home can often be an overwhelming and unappealing undertaking. You know justifying why everything in your home should remain there will not lead to a clutter-free environment. So what is clutter really about and how can you tackle it? Let’s begin by looking at three case examples.
A very common example of clutter is saving magazines and/or clipped articles. It seems admirable to collect as many health magazines as you can get your hands on, right? Who doesn’t want to be as healthy as possible? However, even with the best of intentions, these piles can reach unmanageable levels. At that point you can’t find the resources you want, causing you stress, and defeating the purpose of the endeavor.
Many subjects become outdated over time, especially health related ones. Do you know anyone who is healthy who doesn’t have each and every article you have? You can now easily get up-to-date information in no time. What about using reputable Internet sites, subscribing to a health e-newsletter, or going to the library? Of course all these things will not add any clutter to your home.
Let’s say you were a teacher for 40 years, recently retired, and don’t want to part with any of your career belongings including beautiful cards or letters from your students or their parents, teaching material, published papers, etc. This was your identity for many years and it’s logical that you don’t want to “toss” things. On the other hand, you feel your extensive amount of material is cluttering your home. You can’t find what you want or other important things you need on a daily basis.
Okay, what if you just kept your favorite things? Your identity as a teacher will be left in tact and you keep your best memory items that represent your 40 year career. Needless to say, you also accomplish your goal of decreasing or eliminating clutter as well. It’s a win-win!
The dilemma of what to get rid of can often peak when a loved one passes. If you believe getting rid of anything they had is getting rid of a part of them, that’s a tough one. It’s fine if that’s what you decide. If not, think about it further for a moment. Most people have some form of clutter. Did your loved one ever mention he or she had clutter? If so, you might be saving their clutter! Just like in the above example, deciding what you want to keep that represents your best memories of your loved one is an option. With a manageable amount of items you can take out, or displayed, what you want and when you want. It gives you more control and less stress. Would you want that for your loved one?
Pam Alberts, MSW, LICSW, CEP, MBA is Assistant Director at the Lincoln Council On Aging.
She runs a Declutter Your Home group at Bemis Hall – 15 Bedford Rd, Lincoln, on Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m.
