Even if you live by yourself, clutter can still be a problem. While you may not have to navigate the emotional terrain of live-in children and partners, you may also feel a little less motivated to declutter. In the same way that it can be a challenge to cook for one, it can also be a challenge to organize and declutter alone.

Although you might not have to argue over every item that you wish to purge, it can also be a challenge to make these decisions without another person to serve as a sounding board. Many people live alone not by choice, but as the result of a traumatic experience, such as the death of a spouse. If you are grieving the death of a spouse or a relationship that fell apart, it is normal to experience a lot of emotions surrounding the items that you shared with the other person. Even if you want to organize, you might find that some days you feel utterly incapacitated. Those days, try your best to just take it easy — to weep if necessary — and rest.

After a loss, even if you want to declutter your home, you might find that the mere thought of giving away items is overwhelming. Indeed, if you are grieving or struggling through a transitional period of life, even the simple act of taking the garbage out may seem beyond your capacity. You don't need to make every decision instantly, and you can expect your feelings about your home to change a good deal over the next several months. It may be best not to make any sudden decisions before you're ready.

That said, often the death of a spouse or a change in relationship status will necessitate a move. This move often comes more quickly than a person can anticipate and requires hundreds — sometimes thousands — of decisions about material possessions.

The other side of solo organizing is that, even if you live alone, the work of making a home is still valuable. Even if no one else is there to appreciate your efforts every day, your home environment will nonetheless have a dramatic effect on the way you feel and live in it. The way you feel in your own home can have a ripple effect on the world around you. If you are at peace, others will be more relaxed in your presence. Also, if you can bring more order to your home, you will find it easier to host people there. Chaotic homes are generally less hospitable because they do not create a comfortable space for guests to relax.

Living in the Present

If you live alone, one of the best things you can do is create the home you want to be in, right now. Don't put off living simply because the situation you're in is not what you imagined it could be. Instead, devote yourself to making your home a refuge that you long to return to at the end of the day.

In the book Shelter for the Spirit, Victoria Moran writes about her experience creating a home after her husband died. She was still a young woman with a young daughter to care for, and it was challenging to find ways to embrace her current situation. She writes about the temptation to delay life — and to put off experiencing the enjoyment our homes could give us — until we've found ourselves in our dream situation or home.

Perhaps you want to be married and have children someday, but you haven't found yourself in the right situation. The best thing you can do is to start living well now, in the circumstances you've been given, with the resources you have. Only when you begin to live in the now will you be able to prepare for and enjoy the possibilities as they present themselves to you in each moment.