PERSONAL PLANNING
It’s Spring! Time to clean out the closets! RIGHTSIZING Erica Copenhaver is project coordinator for the MicroLife Institute in Atlanta It’s that time of year again. The sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, and our closets are overflowing with gifts from the holiday season and last year’s clutter. We all know what that means—it’s time for Spring Cleaning! Spring Cleaning can be a daunting task for anyone, so here are some tips to downsizing what you can on your own, with the help of friends or family, and even with professional help. The first step to downsizing is to take a good look at the things you currently own. Clothes, furniture, décor, books, old knickknacks, everything. Once you understand what you have, it will be easier to determine what you do and don’t need anymore. Notice areas in your home that might make you feel stressed. These are usually areas with too much clutter. Maybe it’s where you keep
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that chair you keep meaning to get reupholstered, or that table you know you want to refinish. Now’s the time to make decisions. The first option is to take whatever first step you need to take towards fixing things to your liking. Schedule the drop-off for a chair or buy new stain for the table. Otherwise, donate those items that need work to someone who will love them as they already are, and free yourself of the responsibility of having to do it yourself. Now look back at those areas that just feel too cluttered. This may be your bookshelves, your home office, or most often, your closets. Take the time to really be honest with yourself and understand how the space you live in makes you feel. To borrow from Marie Kondo’s KonMari method, take each item in these cluttered areas in your hands and ask yourself, “does this spark joy?” Sometimes we hold onto things that no longer bring us joy. There can be many reasons for this. Maybe the item was given to us and we would feel bad giving it away. Maybe we spent
APRIL 2022 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
enough money on the item that we feel obligated to keep it. Ultimately, whatever the reason, if the item does not make you happy anymore, it no longer belongs in your home. As you are going through your items, especially clothing, there may be pieces that you are completely undecided about. One of my favorite ways to handle this is the “out of sight, out of mind” trick. To do this, place the clothes you are unsure about in a box, and set them aside for at least one month. If you never feel the need to dig them out of the box to wear them, then it’s time to donate them. Another great way to get into the spring-cleaning spirit is to do a clothes trade with friends and family. This is great if you want to make sure those special items that you just don’t wear anymore find a new owner who you know will cherish them. This is also the perfect way to freshen up your wardrobe sustainably, and without breaking the bank. Just make sure to give away more than you take home! You can also work out a home cleaning system with a small group of friends or family. Each week, take one day to all work together to clean up one person’s home. Then move on to a different home the next week, and so on until everyone’s home is ready for spring! With all of you pitching in it can even make cleaning fun! If the prospect of downsizing is just too daunting—and let’s be honest,
The first step to downsizing is to take a good look at the things you currently own... Once you understand what you have, it will be easier to determine what you do and don’t need anymore. it certainly can be—don’t despair. There are professional services designed to help you get through it. First consider what you personally want to get out of downsizing. Then bring your goals and vision to a professional, and they’ll take care of the rest. Feel free to contact us for recommendations of downsizing/decluttering professionals near you. All in all, there is no wrong way to downsize your way to happiness. I know some things are hard to let go of, even when you no longer need them. So, break up the process into small tasks, take as much time as you need, and be sure to ask for help when you need. Then you’re on your way, downsizing your way to happiness!
If you try any of these tips or want to share your own, let us know at thoughts@ microlifeinstitute.org.
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