If you’re over 50 it’s almost certain that clearing up will lead to cheering up. Throwing out the clutter, downsizing your possessions and making yourself some space will inevitably result in a new lease of life, room to think, and a whole lot more energy and enthusiasm, as this article explains.

After decades of spending, acquiring, and collecting, many over 50s are now simply drowning in ‘stuff’. And that can be depressing.

Of course, ‘things’– clothes, furniture, collections – can be great to have. And arguably, many items are ‘essential’ – equipment, tools, documents and papers. However, nearly all of us are guilty of continually acquiring more without discarding much, with the result that our surroundings are stuffed full and in danger of becoming completely overwhelming.

Minimalism certainly isn’t for everyone, but there’s a big difference between cosy and undeniably cluttered – and what is often overlooked is the extent to which accumulated possessions can contribute significantly to feelings of depression, hopelessness, and stress.

Hopefully your situation isn’t quite so dramatic, but if you’re starting to feel like the walls are closing in, it’s worth taking action before things get too bad.

Planning for progress

So you think it sounds a good idea, but where should you start? After all, a cache of clutter the size of yours isn’t going to be sorted in a day. Try these few simple tips to start you on your way:

1.     Create a vision of what you want you would like your house or room to look and feel like. Get a folder or scrapbook and fill it with pictures from magazines of the sort of airy, uncluttered space you would like to achieve. Write down what it would feel like to be living in that way.

 2.     Decide on a reasonable time frame. It’s taken you years to accumulate all this stuff, so sorting it out is going to take time too. But if you don’t aim for an end date, it won’t get done. Above all, be realistic but don’t allow yourself too much time or you’ll end up being overwhelmed by the idea even before you start.

 3.     Create a system. This means deciding how you’re going to start and possibly is the most important step of all. If you aren’t clear at the outset about where you’re going to start, how you’re going to decide what to keep and what to discard, what you’re going to do with the stuff you want to get rid of, and how you’re going to store what you’ve got left, you’ll just get into an even worse mess and you’ll give up almost before you’ve started.

 4.     Prepare for action. Decide when to start – ideally allow yourself at least a free couple of days (ideally longer) to get stuck in and make some real progress. Before you get going, make sure you have everything you need –garbage or storage bags, boxes, labels, and cleaning materials are all essential. And if anyone’s offered to help, it could be a good idea to take up their offer. This really is a time when many hands make light work and someone else’s enthusiasm for the job will help keep you going. 

 5.     Start with one room. The best approach is to remove everything (except large items of furniture which are going to remain) from the first room you’re going to tackle. This will mean having identified somewhere to move everything to. Then, clean – and if necessary rearrange – the room – before putting back only those things that are essential. 

 6.     Identify the ‘must-haves’.  Deciding what to keep and what you could and should get rid of isn’t easy. The best way is to think through what would happen if there were a fire or flood. How much of what you have would you be desperate to save or replace? How much of what you have do you actually need?

 7.     Be ruthless. This is the hardest part – but if you aren’t ruthless in discarding items you’ll just end up putting back the majority of what you started with.

 8.     Persevere. It’s almost certain that clearing the first room will have taken you longer than you predicted and it may have been both physically and emotionally draining. But doesn’t the result look great? If possible, take a break at this stage and just enjoy using and living in your first newly cleared space before you start on the rest – room by room in a methodical fashion.

 9.     Finally – don’t get distracted. Don’t answer the phone, turn on the TV, or stop for any longer than the minimum time for coffee and lunch breaks. Experience shows that after a while you’ll be desperate to find any reason to stop, but you mustn’t. This is one situation where sticking with it really will have huge benefits. Your place will look great and your sense of achievement will be amazing. You’ll feel liberated and free!