Reframing the Downsizing Process

A couple of years ago, I worked with some amazing clients to downsize in preparation for their move to a senior living facility. Downsizing is actually not a type of work I take on very often, I generally work with young families and singles, but I just clicked with this great couple and wanted to help them the best way I know how!

If you've never been involved in downsizing, it's a very bittersweet process. One one hand, you’re moving on to a new phase of life, with all the potential that can bring, including the reduced stress of not having to clean and maintain a large house you no longer need! On the other hand you’re moving away from what has been for most people a really fulfilling phase of life, filled with career, raising a family, building a community, and making a home. All of that means that downsizing is NOT easy, and it can bring up a lot of feelings you might not have realized were there.

During one organizing session, as I sat with my client working on downsizing some of her belongings, she began to get emotional about some items that really meant a lot to her. She knew that all of these items would not fit in her new home and she knew she was going to have to declutter some of them, but it was really tough. She talked to me about how at her age, she was in a place where her friends were dying, and the memories attached to these objects were really important to her.

I found myself thinking: this is a phase of life that everyone gets to… if we're lucky. I hope that I am lucky enough to live long enough that I get to go through the process of downsizing and going through a lifetime of memories because that's taken from a lot of us.

No phase of life is perfect. Nothing is easy. But I want you to know that if you or a loved one are going through the downsizing process, it’s ok that it’s hard and you’re not alone. If you can, get some help from a professional organizer who specializes in the downsizing process - they have the skills and connections needed to make this very bittersweet step smoother and easier!

LMW