As Colorado’s population of seniors expands rapidly, a pressing question emerges among many older residents: What do I do with so much stuff?
With the state witnessing a considerable increase in its population aged 60 and above, many individuals are confronting the daunting task of decluttering their homes—often brimming with decades of accumulated possessions.
This dilemma is poignantly illustrated by the story of Rhoda Atkins, a 58-year-old hair stylist who is currently navigating her own downsizing journey.
After a divorce and the departure of her children into adulthood, Atkins moved from a spacious 4,800-square-foot home into a condo in Thornton.
Despite her quest for a simpler life, lingering memories stored in chests and boxes cluttering her garage have made this transition more challenging.
To help tackle this emotional and physical challenge, Atkins enlisted the aid of Pam Holland, owner of Mindful Decluttering & Organizing in Westminster.
Through gentle guidance and a compassionate approach, Holland assists Atkins with the difficult decisions about which items to keep and which to let go.
During their sessions, Atkins finds herself reflecting on memories triggered by items such as her old scrapbook, which holds both sentimental value and clutter.
As Holland aptly reminds her, not everything can be a treasure.
The approach employed by organizers like Holland seeks to help older adults reevaluate the significance of their possessions, reframing the downsizing process from a daunting task into an empowering experience.
This growing wave of professional organizing assistance reflects a broader trend observed across the state.
As demographics shift, Colorado is tied for third in the nation for its fast-growing population over 60, creating a ripe environment for services that specialize in decluttering, organizing, and facilitating smooth transitions for seniors.
The National Association of Senior & Specialty Move Managers, or NASSMM, serves as a prominent example of the industry’s growth.
Founded in 2002 with only 40 member companies, NASSMM now boasts about 1,200 members nationwide, suggesting a burgeoning industry worth over $100 million.
Mary Kay Buysse, co-executive director of NASSMM, notes that Colorado specifically has seen the establishment of new organizing businesses since 2020, resulting in a total of 11 members in the state today.
These specialists offer their expertise to help clients distinguish between items to toss, donate, or sell on platforms like eBay, alleviating the burden of decision-making during a challenging time.
In a similar situation, Carolyn Colvin, a septuagenarian from Colorado Springs, has also turned to professional help in the lead-up to her move into a new senior living community.
With only two days left before her relocation, she faced the daunting task of sorting through years of belongings from her family home.
Overwhelmed by emotions and memories, Colvin reached out to Jennifer Brink, a senior move manager with Things Forgotten Not Gone, a service provided by Goodwill.
Brink’s mastery of clutter organization and inventory packing transformed Colvin’s overwhelming process into a manageable task, turning what could have been a stressful experience into a reassuring one.
The statistics are staggering—Colvin estimates having packed thousands of photos from her walls, a testament to the lengthy history her family has shared in their home.
With support from her son and grandkids, she began to box up her belongings, initially feeling a wave of negative emotions associated with sorting through her possessions.
However, as she moved forward in the process, Colvin began to find relief and even joy in letting go of items she no longer needed.
Her experience showcases the emotional toll that clutter can exert, an aspect acknowledged by various professional organizers in the field.
As the relationship between individuals and their belongings continues to evolve, it invites a more extensive exploration of why humans accumulate possessions in the first place.
Chip Colwell’s research into this phenomenon delves into the psychological and anthropological implications behind our attachment to objects.
A former curator at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Colwell’s book, “So Much Stuff: How Humans Discovered Tools, Invented Meaning, and Made More of Everything” illuminates why the proclivity to hoard possessions has persisted throughout human history, identifying deeper reasons for this behavior.
His studies highlight three significant milestones in humanity’s relationship with objects: the inception of tool-making three million years ago, the assignment of meaning to items 50,000 years prior, and the ideological push toward consumerism that gained momentum over the last 500 years.
He suggests that these factors have shifted cultural expectations, leading generations, particularly baby boomers, to accumulate more possessions in line with consumerism’s promises of happiness and comfort.
As Colwell notes, this psychological attachment often deepens as individuals age, creating a paradox when it comes time to downsize.
Older adults may find it increasingly challenging to part with belongings that have accumulated sentimental value over time, especially amid the pressures to transition into smaller living spaces.
Buysse from NASSMM highlights a growing trend among baby boomers, as their children express little desire to inherit their items, showcasing a generational shift that complicates the process.
Young adults often favor a more minimalist lifestyle, while simultaneously consuming their own brand of ‘stuff’ acquired through modern shopping habits.
However, many older adults may struggle to find new homes for their possessions.
For example, common household items such as pianos and giant entertainment centers have become increasingly challenging to place in second-hand markets.
As Buysse notes, heavy, brown furniture, once staples in many homes, now sit at the bottom of the desirability curve.
Organizers like Trish Rice, owner of All About Ease Organizing in Golden, work with many seniors to navigate the delicate process of decluttering their belongings.
Rice employs a gentler approach when assisting older clients, acknowledging the mental fatigue that comes with such an emotional task.
What often aids in this process is the potential of discarded items—saved treasures that can be redirected to others in need through thrift stores or charitable organizations.
This redirection transforms the experience from a purely personal loss into an opportunity for renewed purpose within the community.
Additionally, some individuals opt for self-storage units as temporary solutions, although experts caution that these can lead to further postponement of difficult decisions about sentimental items.
Stories abound from organizers about unique experiences while dealing with difficult objects.
Devlin, from Efficient Living, recalls an incident where a client chose to burn hate-filled letters from a former spouse, completing a powerful symbolic act of release.
As more individuals face the necessity of downsizing, often fueled by life changes such as health issues or the passing of a partner, the conversations around possessions increase in significance.
Atkins, who struggles with a specific piece of art—Harry Myers’ print—finds comfort in the object despite having no personal connection to its original owner.
Throughout her decluttering experience, Atkins weighs the emotional weight of various items, eventually finding clarity about her attachment to each.
By engaging with organizers like Holland, Atkins acknowledges the roles objects have played in her past while also making room for the future.
As this wave of change sweeps across Colorado, the journey toward simplicity emerges as not only a personal endeavor but as a collective challenge faced by many in the aging population.
Communities now must adapt to not just the physical demands of excess belongings but also the emotional nuances of what it means to let go.
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