The Challenge of Senior Downsizing

“I don’t want to do it; I want my kids to do it when I’m gone.” So said a participant in a program about senior downsizing for which I was a speaker earlier this month, hosted by a life plan community in Terre Haute, IN. The woman said that the prospect of downsizing was overwhelming.

 But there were others at the program who were relishing the process of downsizing, enjoying finding homes for their special belongings, and looking forward to managing a simpler life.

 There are many emotions involved in downsizing. For seniors, the process often coincides with a time when physical ability and energy are more limited. To say the least, it can be a difficult process. Everyone always feels like they have plenty of time for planning at this stage. It’s almost never too early to plan and start the process. A friend of mine said her motto is “Better five years too early than one day too late!”

 In Embracing Conscious Simplicity, authors Barbara Bougher and Teresa Worthington note that when we are intentional about simplifying life, we appreciate what we have more: “When we make the conscious choice to have only what we love, what we use, and what brings beauty into our life; when we are not bogged down with that which has outlived its purpose in our life, we make room to welcome in new and wonderful experiences that embody the life we are living now or the life we want to create for our self. Our life feels richer, freer, more blessed, more beautiful, and more meaningful.”

 Having witnessed the stress Spirit & Space clients feel when surrounded by too much stuff and clutter, I more fully recognize the wisdom in Embracing Conscious Simplicity. Stay tuned for options to explore simplifying more deeply.