/Adjusted%202021%20Originals/DRCS%20Logo%20BrandMark%20Positive%20w%20Square%20BG%20Left%20Aligned%20PNG-min.png?width=95&height=99&name=DRCS%20Logo%20BrandMark%20Positive%20w%20Square%20BG%20Left%20Aligned%20PNG-min.png "DR Care Solutions | Your Care, Your Support, Your Way | Aged Care & Disability Care Consulting Services")
Having advised hundreds of seniors on their "last move", those living in organised, decluttered homes cope better with the stress of moving.
© Danielle Robertson Consulting Pty Ltd t/as DR Care Solutions
Be organised and ready for anything
Sometimes the “last move” in life is planned: “I’m ready to rightsize from the family home to a retirement village or into a granny flat alongside family.”
Often it is forced upon us, say after a fall bringing about a hospital stay and then the medical directive: “You can no longer live independently. You must now live in a residential aged care home.”
While DR Care Solutions is there to help clients every step of the way and remove the stress and anxiety of such major life changes, we encourage everyone to do their best to be as organised as they can be and ready for anything.
Start by using our tools
Admittedly, it can be hard to make a start on decluttering and organising a lifetime of possessions. To help we offer a number of free tools to get you going. They include:
1. Our recently released Spring Clean Rightsize Guide[1] with its accompanying easy-to-use templates:
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(i) The Decluttering Project Schedule
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(ii) Inventory Schedule, and
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(iii) Subprojects Planner.
2. Our Life Ready RegisterTM[2].
Why bother? Keep in mind these three key benefits
University studies[3] provide the proof of the mental benefits of being organised and living in a decluttered environment.
1. Feeling more focussed
When we physically remove the mess around us and organise our space, the same occurs to us mentally. Living in a clear and decluttered space brings more clarity and focus to our thinking.
“Having cleared the filing cabinet, I’ve now got my identity and estate planning documents to hand and my Life Register™ is completed and up to date. The project has reminded me that I must locate the deeds of the house.”
2. Feeling energised
Completing projects makes us feel confident and energised.
The secret here is to make sure your projects are small and are paced at achievable time frames. We’re after small victories that over time amount to flying a flag over a decluttered home. Another tip is to always embark on each project with a positive mind set.
“I can take on projects, one step at a time. With the filing cabinet sorted, I’ll get on with my desk and drawers.”
Our Decluttering Project Schedule will help you “size and pace” your projects. It even includes a column where you can name your reward on completing each project!
3. Feeling less anxious
Living in cluttered and disorganised surrounds brings feelings of constant stress and worry, and higher levels of cortisol[4] (with this bringing fatigue and loss of sleep, weight gain, intestinal problems and the list goes on). Creating order and being more organised puts a brake on these impacts.
Another related point is that the process of cleaning and clearing spaces can be calming and therapeutic. The repetition and flow of the task of cleaning and clearing out cupboards when a loved one is hospitalised brings a sense of control and calm. Many of us have seen this in action or taken it ourselves!
Use our free tools
For both your mental health and in readiness for any sudden life change, start your spring clean and take advantage of the tools we have developed - specifically for our clientele.
Download our Spring Clean Rightsize Guide and Life Ready Register™ using the forms below.
The Spring Clean Rightsize Guide & The Life Ready RegisterTM
We are pleased to offer these resources to you as a free downloadable.
Simply fill out the form(s) below and we'll send you an email with access.
Need help caring for a loved one? Please feel free to call me, Danielle Robertson, at any time for an initial discussion on how to set up the right care, support and assistance at the right time and in the right place.
Resources
[1] DR Care Solutions: Your Guide To Spring Cleaning, Rightsizing & Downsizing
[2] DR Care Solutions: Where Are The Title Deeds? Getting Your Affairs In Order
[3] JNeurosci: Interactions of Top-Down and Bottom-Up Mechanisms in Human Visual Cortex
[4] Sage Journals: No Place Like Home - Home Tours Correlate With Daily Patterns of Mood and Cortisol
