A driven professional with a demanding career, Janet, 57, spends most of her time and energy acclimating to a new job in a new city. Settling into her new apartment is going at a snail’s pace – the last thing she wants to do after a long day at the office is unpack boxes. To make matters worse, her new home is severely lacking in storage space. Many of her personal items will have to remain in boxes until she finds the time to create new storage solutions. Janet is tired of searching for things; she wants to get rid of the clutter and knows she needs help to finally get organized

Helen, 78, needs to move into assisted living following medical complications she suffered after a recent surgery. Her only daughter, Carol, lives 800 miles away and, due to her own family and career obligations, she is unable to make the trip to Seattle to help her mother with the move. This means Helen has to rely on whatever local assistance is available.

Margaret, 85, and her fiancée John, 92, plan to downsize from 2 one-bedroom apartments to 1 one-bedroom apartment when they move in together after their wedding in October. Having no room for two lifetimes worth of belongings in their new home, Margaret and John need help letting go of some of their past to make room for their new life together.

Buyers and Savers and Hoarders, Oh My!

Ask any realtor or house cleaner and they will tell you that, no matter the size of the home, most Americans have garages, attics, basements, and/or common living spaces crammed with clutter. According to a Boston Marketing Firm study, the average American burns 2 months a year looking for things they have, but can’t find.Can’t remember where you stored last-year’s Christmas lights? Buy new ones! Misplaced that electric bill? Pay a late fee! Hammer nowhere to be found? Borrow the neighbor’s!

So exactly why do we accumulate so much stuff? Why would we rather ignore the growing clutter than throw things away? And how do we regain control over our possessions?

Though there are those for whom the need to accumulate material possessions, or “hoard,” can run to the extreme, the majority of clutter cases fall into two main categories: Poor time management (“there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done”) and a rationale often referred to as the Depression-Era Mentality (“Don’t throw that away – we might need it someday!”). And although people of all age groups are affected by clutter at some point during their lives, the number of seniors facing this uphill battle alone is on the rise.

The fact is, adults aged 55 and older are the fastest growing segment of the US population, and represent 40% of the consumerism market in the United States. This is a segment of the population with a lot of buying power, but seldom enough time, energy, or physical strength to manage their belongings. In the case of elderly seniors, some must face having to downsize from a home in which they’ve lived for 30, 40, even 50 years, to a smaller, more efficient apartment or condominium, a prospect that can be both emotional and overwhelming.And if they have no family or local support system, the task can seem downright impossible.

Who Can You Call?

Fortunately, there is help. In the effort to downsize and streamline their lives, many people are now seeking the help of Professional Organizers and Senior Move Managers. For those unfamiliar with these occupations, they are professionals whose job (nay, their passion?) is to help people with tasks such as packing, moving, unpacking, sorting, organizing, donating and situating the belongings they have accumulated over the years.

But good organizers go beyond the task itself. Quality Professional Organizers don’t clean, they transform, working closely with their client to create peaceful, personalized living spaces. Through the entire process they provide judgment-free encouragement and support, they keep their client upbeat and focused on the outcome, and they leave their client with a sense of relief, joy and elation.

Denial Ain’t Just A River

At this point you may be unsure as to whether or not you need professional help to gain control over your belongings. You may be thinking that your clutter isn’t all that bad – certainly not as bad as so-called “hoarders.” Well, here are a few questions to ask yourself, the answers to which may clear things up for you:

1. Do I feel relaxed and at peace in my home?
2. Am I proud to invite others into my home?
3. I’m moving soon – do I have everything organized and under control?
4. If the power goes out can I navigate my home without tripping or falling on clutter?
5. In an emergency, can I quickly locate important papers and memorabilia?
6. Does my one car fit in my two-car garage?

If you answered “NO” to any of these questions, it might be time to give that Professional Organizer in your neighborhood a call.

Elain Carroll, owner of Habitat For Your Sanity, is a Professional Organizer and a Certified Relocation and Transition Specialist (CRTS), located in Olympia, WA. Habitat for Your Sanity is a member of the National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM) and the National Association of Professional Organizers.

For more information about how Habitat For Your Sanity can help you, contact Elain at 360-866-0928 or visit the Habitat For Your Sanity website at www.habitatforyoursanity.com.