Decluttering in Retirement: How to Simplify Your Life

As in life, there are several phases in retirement, the gotta go years, typically bucket list years, travel etc.  The slow down phase, travel is a bit harder, you’re bit older, want to stay closer to home, this is when decluttering can occur.  Finally the end of life phase, aged care etc.  So let's talk about decluttering in retirement. We all love accumulating stuff and things and there are some hard truths about our prized and precious things that we are so emotionally attached too; no one wants our stuff. 

What! I hear you say, my things are so special, my art, my glass, my plates my books my STUFF!!! 

Ok, so firstly there is nothing wrong with your stuff. Talking to my clients about decluttering can be a challenging conversation as these “things” tell a story of who we are, where we have been, our life stages, our hard work but at the end of the day, they are just things.  I had this conversation with my parents, I want to remember playing golf with my mother, I have asked for her putter with a betty boop cover, that’s it.  I look at that and feel connected to her.  My father, a watch, same reason as above, what are they/you going to do with a lifetime of accumulation and when is the right time to act?

Listening to my parents and my clients there is a lot of anxiety surrounding the issue of decluttering.  If you are looking at addressing these issues with your parents/loved ones/intimate partner or yourself, be prepared for a little push back.  Talk to anyone about their retirement  and they will tell you that their identify got challenged along the way.  Are we the bread winner, the care giver, the worker, the boss?  As with work, a lot of our identity can be wrapped up in our things but I have some good news for you, stick with me.  One of my favourite movies from the 90’s is fight club and a great line is:

"you are not how much money you have in the bank, you are not the car you drive, you are not the contents of your wallet"

Now another favourite of mine...

“You are you and that is truer than true, there is no one alive more youer than you.” Dr Seuss. 

We are not our things!

As we get older it can be challenging to run a big house, look after a garden, all the maintenance and cleaning.  I’m not trying to tell you to give away all of your things and sell your house, I am however suggesting that your life may be simpler, a little easier and less riddled with anxiety if you have a hard look at your environment and take on a less is more attitude.  I also have some suggestions on how you may tackle this issue and some benefits you may feel.  Let’s go.

• Pick a fight with a closet, a cupboard or something small to get you started.

• Set some goals about when and how much you would like to get through and stick to it.

• Start with less emotionally charged items and build momentum (it starts to feel good what you get rid of stuff)

• Enlist some help, this can be very emotional and having someone with you for emotional support can make it easier and they can be a little more bullish on  “does this need to stay”

• Having support can also be a great way to connect with your loved ones

• When you are going through your things and taking a trip down memory lane, consider recording your life story using a platform like memwah. https://memwah.com.au/ The item is not as important as much as the story about how you got it, what it meant to you, what you gained from it and what phase of life it relates to.

• Take on one room at time

• Really consider what this item is bringing to you, if it does not serve a purpose, hasn’t been used in ages, doesn’t fit anymore or does not bring you joy, get rid of it.

• Try the 3 pile method:

  • Keep

  • Discard

  • Donate

• Once you have started the process, be very careful what you invite into your space (there is a financial benefits in thinking like this)  

  • Does it bring you joy?

  • Do you need it?

  • Is this something you will have to deal with later?

• Digitise Memories

• Scan photos, documents and other important papers to reduce clutter

• Create digital albums or cloud storage folders to keep things safe without taking up space

• Sell or donate items, a little extra cash never hurt anyone and donating tops up your altruism stores.

• There are services out there that can help

  • https://lighthouseestateclearances.com.au/

  • https://www.theartofdecluttering.com.au/

  • https://remove.junk.com.au/

• Take note of how you feel

• Do you feel relieved?

• Do you feel happy with your new space?

• Do you feel more peaceful?

• Do you feel less anxious?

• Do you feel more clarity?

• Do you feel freer?

• Do you feel life is easier with less to look after you and a more organised environment?

• Try a one in one out method to maintain your space

Another benefit of decluttering is doing this job for your loved ones.  When we die we leave the ones we love behind and during this time of mourning, reflecting and celebration, sorting your items out can be very challenging.  Decluttering can be an act of kindness saving your loved ones from the pain of doing this and at the same time allowing you to reflect on your life through these objects and create a new more manageable space.

There can be a lot of fear when we are decluttering or looking to downsize.  One of those big fears is, are we entering the end of life phase?  The answer may be yes or no however the process, the benefits are still the same.  You can become less anxious and ruled over by things.  You can connect with loved ones, reflect, share stories, laugh, cry and discover what really makes you tick.  It won’t be the things that you own, it will be how you and your loved ones relate those things to the stories that make up the essence of who you are and what you and they love about you.  Release yourself from the burden of stuff and look for gratification internally. 

Again to quote fight club...

“the shit you own ends up owning you”. 

Take back control from your things and lighten your load.

Get to work, it will be worth it and I guarantee you will feel lighter.