Emotions of Downsizing
One of the hardest challenges I've faced over my organizing years has been downsizing. Perhaps that is because my need to downsize arose when my husband of 36 years passed away. Although we had been planning to move to a boat, his absence suddenly made (for me) a simple process exponentially more difficult.
Emotions have a way of adding weight and difficulty to any attempt to scale back our belongings. In my case, I had to part with many of my husband's items soon after he was gone, perhaps before I normally would have been ready.
I found, however, that sorting through items in preparation for a move to a smaller place was therapeutic. I got to enjoy many memories, and I learned better how to help others in similar situations.
Here are a few tips to deal with the emotional side of downsizing:
1. Keep your goal in mind. You want a smaller space with a simpler life, so remember this as you sort through your items.
2. Hold on to your memories. No matter whether you keep or give away an item, your memories will always be with you.
3. Tell a story. When you pass on an item, find someone who will appreciate it and tell them the story behind it. This can help you part with particularly sentimental items.
4. Take pictures. This can be a good way to remember an item without allowing it to take up extra space in your home.
5. Designate a special spot for items you keep. For example, find a decorative box in which to place sentimental odds and ends. It will look nice in your living room while holding things that mean a lot to you.
These ideas work even if you plan to stay in your current home. I have labored with clients who needed to sort through a loved one's belongings in order to better use their current space.
Whether you are staying or moving, be patient with yourself as you work through the process of scaling back. Enjoy the memories that arise. Think of the positive things the future will ring.
Hopefully these tips help you as you face the emotions of downsizing. Since those difficult days of paring down my belongings after my husband passed, I have needed to repeat parts of the process occasionally. Following these tips continually aids me as I work to keep my home simplified.
Blessings to you as you practice downsizing to simplicity!
