The Alzheimer's Digest: Clutter

Friday, March 21, 2014

Time For Spring De-Cluttering!

Spring is in the air, even if …

…even if we have to clean.

Is it springtime yet? It’s gotta be there somewhere under all the snow in the Midwest and Eastern U.S.!

Despite the unusual weather we’ve had this year, the longer days trigger in us an annual ritual.

What do we do each spring?

With the longer days, I like to clean–not so much to vacuum and dust, but to clear the clutter in my life. There is the usual physical clutter and the backlog of digital clutter. Then I try to get rid of the old ways of thinking that fill my mind (mental clutter) in order to make more time to do the things I love.

If you’re also de-cluttering, join me this spring.

Eric Riddle and Brenda Avadian STUFFology 101 Its MINE_web

Forget those rules like If you haven’t used something in a year, get rid of it. Noooo, co-author, Eric Riddle, and I have collaborated on a New FUN look at how we define the clutter in our lives and flexible ways to get our minds out of the clutter. HECK, we admit to holding some things for decades!

Don’t fear. we won’t pass judgment on any of your stuff until you ask us. First, it’s up to you to DEFINE YOUR CLUTTER. Once you take that first step, invite us to help you get rid the clutter in your life. Until then…

We INVITE YOU

Are you nearby? We invite you to our book launch for STUFFology 101: Get Your Mind Out of the Clutter. Our launch is really our baby shower–yep, for our book! Men are invited. Eric needs the support of fellow males. I’m happy Eric and I are able to give birth (finally!) to our ideas–gestating for some forty years then conceived a couple years ago. (That’s a bit backward, isn’t it?) Eric’s wife, mother of three, says if this is what giving birth is like, we’re birthing an elephant! Come see!

We’d love to see you.

Click on the first link below to attend our launch event and receive two copies of STUFFology 101 on April 12. We’ll send the location information to the west Palmdale, California residence in early April. Deadline April 1–only 11 days away!

Attend Launch Event – Includes 2 copies of STUFFology 101 book and Launch for only $20.

If you’re too far away ;-(, we’ll extend to you the same pre-press pricing until April 1, 2014. See second link.

Click on the link below to order copies of STUFFology 101 for $10 each (minimum 2-copy order) and pay only $5 for shipping no matter how many copies you order. Procrastinating will cost you (and add to the cluttered thoughts in your mind). After April 1, 2014, a single copy order is $19.90 ($14.95 + $4.95 shipping). For $5 more ($25) plus CA state tax your order placed today will ensure you’ll find at least two books in your U.S.-based mailbox in April!

STUFFology 101 – Order any multiple of 2 copies for $20 (2, 4, 8, 10, or even 100) and pay the same low $5 for shipping!
Offer expires April 1, 2014.

While we build a new website for STUFFology101.com, we want to share this with you! Once the new STUFFology101.com goes live, it will be totally awesome. Okay, that sounded like a skateboarder or surfer talking. Sometimes, it’s hard to maintain composure–you’d agree after meeting me in person!

See all our products at Dementia Signage for the Home

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Retirees and Clutter - Some Thoughts

I never cease to be amazed by some of the unique characteristics of clutter. For some reason, clutter is often associated with the homes and workplaces of retirees or "seniors." We have all heard stories and read accounts of elderly people who live in tumble-down houses filled with unbelievable amounts of clutter. This is not, however, a universal characteristic of retirees.

So what are the essential characteristics of clutter? Here are a few that come to mind at the moment:

Clutter takes many shapes and is composed of many items
Clutter has the inherent property of expanding to fill all available space
Clutter is generally collective - it builds up over time
Clutter is generally composed of items we believe we must continue to keep
Clutter is composed of items we believe to be important for some reason
Clutter is generally composed of items we have not used in years
Clutter is often composed of items we cannot find
Clutter is often made up of things we actually don't need
Clutter can be dangerous for retirees
Clutter is hard to remove

Let's face it. At some point in time, everything that makes up clutter was important to us. What we do with it and how long we keep it is often directly proportional to the sentimental or emotional value we attach to it. For example, some of us keep every memento of every activity shared with a loved one. Others keep some souvenir of meaningful travel destinations. Some keep newspapers or magazines. And some of us are collectors gone wild.

We all know clutter in our homes can be dangerous - it can pose a fire hazard or a tripping or stumbling hazard, especially as it expands to mega-proportions. We hear so many stories of retirees who are victims of home fires, who fall and break fragile bones or who fall and get a serious head injury. For these reasons alone, de-cluttering is a really smart move for retirees.

Clutter can also be emotional, mental or psychological. This kind of clutter can often be most difficult to clean out of our lives. This kind of clutter distracts us or re-enforces negative self-images or continues to reopen old wounds. This kind of clutter makes us feel unhappy, stressed out, angry, or even guilty.

While the physical clutter around us might be more noticeable to others, it is easier to remove. It just takes determination and a realistic appraisal of the value of things. Clearing out old animosities, guilt, sorrow and pain, however, is even more important if we really want to enjoy the second stage of our lives.

My advice to all retirees who want to experience a feeling of a new freedom and a fresh outlook on life is: DE-CLUTTER. Start with the "stuff" that is cluttering your environment. If something has real value, but you don't need to keep it, give it to someone who will appreciate its value.

Remind yourself that if you haven't used or read something in over a year, you don't need it. A first step is to get rid of anything you have been saving to which you have access on the internet. This, for example, is a great way to get rid of stacks or boxes of newspapers, magazines, and the like. A little de-cluttering will give you a great sense of freedom and space. It's a wonderful feeling.

Start de-cluttering your psyche. Deal with unresolved guilt: make apologies, make peace. Put old animosities and anger to rest - recognize it, ask yourself if it really matters any longer, move beyond it. Deal with old sorrows and pain. Make the decision to put them to rest.

Finally, you can start the fun part of de-cluttering your mind. Make a list of all the ideas and activities you have stored up to do someday. Prioritize your list. Discard those things that just are not that important any longer. And make a plan to do the things you still want to do.

De-cluttering will give you a new sense of freedom, focus and direction. Your home will also be much safer.