The Emotions Of Downsizing- How To Deal With Them

Are you thinking about downsizing? Or are you in the process of downsizing or have already downsized? Downsizing can be emotionally hard. Let's talk about how to deal with the emotions of downsizing.
THE EMOTIONS OF DOWNSIZING- HYDRANGEAS IN A GRAY URN

Downsizing and even the thought of downsizing can cause many emotions! Sadness, anxiety, grief, happiness, joy, relief, worry, and more! Today is the fifth edition of our Downsizing Series. Let’s chat about the common things that cause us so many emotions when we downsize our homes. And how to deal with all the emotions of downsizing.

You may want to read about my downsizing story HERE. I had lots and lots of emotions when the time came for us to leave our beloved home StoneGable and downsize to our Tanglewood House home.

If you have a story about the emotions of downsizing and how you handled them, please share your story in the comment section below. It might help someone.

So let’s dig into the emotions of downsizing!

THE EMOTIONS OF DOWNSIZING

THE EMOTIONS OF DOWNSIZING- HOT PINK HYDRANGEAS

When most of us think about the negative emotions of the downsizing process we may think of words like…

  • loss
  • fear of the unknown
  • becoming a senior
  • anxiety
  • sadness
  • tiredness
  • stress
  • grief
  • depression
  • and more!

So let’s talk about all the things that cause these negative emotions first.

In all my research for this post and listening to others’ downsizing stories, and through my own downsizing experience, I know negative emotions are almost inevitable.

But here’s the end of the story at the beginning. Every story I have heard has lots of happiness, joy, and peace at the end! This is so important to remember as we talk about the emotions of downsizing! They are not all negative.

Like many things in life, it is the getting through it part that is toughest.

So let’s talk about some of the major things that bring up all these emotions in us. And how to cope with them.

CHANGE IS HARD

Here’s a solid truth, change is hard! No matter what the change. Most of the time any significant change in our lives stirs up feelings of anxiety and all of its negative cousins like sadness, stress, and the rest of the ugly lot!

We seem to be hot wired to be change adverse.

No wonder downsizing is hard. It is usually a huge change. It usually means moving to a smaller home and a new community a new chapter of life!

And here’s another truth. Although change is hard, it can also be good! It is so important to focus on the positive side of downsizing while in the process.

While I was crying and upset about letting go of our beloved StoneGable I kept in mind all the great things about our new life on the horizon.

IS IT REALLY TIME TO DOWNSIZE?

This is a huge question and the answer is different for everyone.

I think some of us just know when it is time. Some of us might know it’s time to downsize and need a nudge from family members or others (that’s you, Mom). Some of us have a clear plan for downsizing in place. And for some of us are not planning a downsizing move but it just happens!

There is no one right time! This is a very personal decision with a myriad of reasons to make the decision to move.

For us, Bobby and me, downsizing sneaked up on us rather quickly. We really had no plans of downsizing but a home in a location we loved was for sale and we went just to take a look at it.

The home turned out to be almost perfect for our needs at this time in our lives and beyond. So it made good sense to downsize.

I think the best posture to take when it comes to downsizing is to have an open mind about it. And assume a mental positive attitude. It is a blessing to live long enough to downsize!

So there is really no one right way to plan. Life comes in all sizes and circumstances!

A NEW PHASE OF YOUR LIFE

THE EMOTIONS OF DOWNSIZING- SATURATED COLORED HYDRANGEAS

My mother is the most vibrant, with it, beautiful, active senior I know. She will be ninety-one in July and honestly, you would think she is in her seventies! She has an active Facebook page, drives herself everywhere, loves to travel, and is so mentally and physically sharp! She has defied age and we say she is timeless!

When she went to look at the fabulous local senior living community in our area a couple years ago, she said, “Why would I want to live there. It’s full of old people”. We howled! This is quintessentially MOM!

Downsizing seems to mark of ending one chapter of our lives and starting of another. And for many of us, that is hard!

Selling the home we raised our families in is often the threshold we cross over into a new phase of our life.

And because this new chapter is NEW there is usually a bit of fear of the unknown. Or a lot of fear of the unknown.

And downsizing also means getting older! And in our society that often prefers youth and often marginalized seniors and retirees that can be very deflating!

Oh, goodness no wonder there are so many emotions!

But a new chapter also means new adventures and more time for new things. And that can be so affirming and help raise our quality of life!

My mother has embraced her life with other “old people” and is swimming and going to shows, playing scrabble and traveling and meeting new friends, and enjoying the beauty and variety of her new digs! There is more to do than she has time to do it!

Her new chapter is perfect for her!

HOW DO I LEAVE THE HOME I RAISED MY FAMILY IN?

THE EMOTIONS OF DOWNSIZING- HYDRANGEAS IN A CUP

For me, this was a huge emotional mountain to get over! How could I ever leave my beloved home! We spent over 24 years living and loving our home. StoneGable was the hub of every holiday and special occasion for not only our family but our extended family and friends too. We raised our children in this home. I blogged about this home every day for 10 years!

And honestly, my identity was bound to StoneGable!

So the thought of letting go of our home was devastating. Just read my story!

How many of you can sympathize? Have you felt that way too?

My emotions about leaving StoneGable are pretty common. The emotions of leaving a “forever home” are huge! It’s so important to let yourself have those emotions. Mourn, cry, be sad. It’s a grieving process.

Here’s a post I wrote about Why I Love StoneGable before we even thought about moving. I re-read it and cried! And here is the post I wrote to tell my reader we moved. More big emotions! I was lucky enough to write all my feelings out and I think that helped so much in dealing with them!

The stress and sadness and emotions of leaving a beloved home and all of our happy past experiences are very common and very real! And so is the time when those emotions will not take center stage in your heart and hope and looking to the future will begin to take over.

And then one day you will actually make your peace with moving. Yes, it will happen!

Don’t get stuck in the wallowing and sadness of downsizing. As we move ahead and through the downsizing process, there are exciting things to focus on. Things to look forward to.

LEAVING BEHIND MEMORIES AND POSSESSIONS

THE EMOTIONS OF DOWNSIZING- WHITE HYDRANGEAS

This is a huge downsizing topic. Leaving behind memories and possessions causes lots and lots of big emotions! We will touch on this now but look for a post dedicated to downsizing or possessions.

Our precious possessions and belongings are often precious because they are tied up in happy memories!

And letting go of the treasures we cannot take with us is one of the big stresses of downsizing. I hear this over and over again.

Let’s face it. We love our stuff! Many of our important memories are tied to our things. And most of us are not easily parted from them.

Junk and trash and things with little or no meaning may be easy to let go of but the more history items have the harder it is to let them go. Think how hard it would be to let go of family heirlooms?

It would feel better if we could pass all of the things we consider precious to other family members. Especially our kids or grandchildren.

But our kids and grandkids probably don’t want our stuff! And maybe not our family heirlooms either!

We need to remember, that our memories are tied up in our stuff. Our kids have different memories. And they probably don’t want all the stuff that belongs to them that we have kept in our basements for years and years!

I was shocked when our son did not want all his baseball trophies I lovingly wrapped and carefully boxed. I could easily recall each and every occasion he won those trophies! So could he, but they were in Christopher’s past. Now he is busy making memories with his own young growing family. So I tucked those precious memories into my mother’s heart and let the trophies go.

I had the same experience with our daughter. She did not want her first pair of itsy-bitsy pink ballet shoes or her sparkly high school crown! She has three little boys now and pink ballet slippers and crowns are not part of her world!

Here’s a big shocker to many of us, our kids don’t usually want their childhood stuff!

So as I cleaned out the basement filled with a lifetime of things I could not take to our new downsized home, I took a second or two to pack up the memories attached to them and tuck them carefully away in my heart. And in the end, I had a full heart and an empty basement.

I took pictures of all the precious things (mostly tied to our kid’s childhood) that we could not take with us to our new downsized home. That really made it easier to let those things go.

Although it might be hard, it is important to look forward to making more wonderful memories in our downsized home.

OTHER CAUSES OF EMOTIONS WHEN DOWNSIZING

There are other common things that cause us negative emotions during the downsizing process. Here are a few…

  • leaving family and friends
  • being a part of a new community
  • moving into a new space
  • financial concerns
  • establishing new friendships
  • thinking about long-term care or home care
  • divorce
  • getting older
  • moving into a different stage of life
  • finding movers
  • new surroundings
  • finding a caregiver
  • emotional challenges
  • dealing with a spouse who is not on the same page
  • and more!

5 WAYS TO MANAGE THE EMOTIONS OF DOWNSIZING

THE EMOTIONS OF DOWNSIZING- BLUE HYDRANGEAS

There are positive and healthy ways to manage the emotions of downsizing. Here are five ways that may be helpful to you…

ACKNOWLEDGE AND FEEL YOUR EMOTIONS

No use trying to muffle or stuff down our emotions! Because they will make themselves known in other unhealthy ways.

Acknowledging them means admitting that they are real and you are working through them. That does not mean letting them get the best of you or others.

I had lots of big emotions when we downsized. I spent three weeks ugly crying when the first realization hit me that yes, we were going to leave StoneGable. And I had a few sleepless nights when our home went on the market.

I let myself have those emotions and that way I could work through them.

Just know that even the most steady and non-emotional people have big emotions over downsizing! It’s one of those big life changes that carry big amounts so stress, loss, and uncertainty!

DEAL WITH YOUR EMOTIONS AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

The best way to deal with all those emotions of downsizing is in healthy and positive ways. And it is a time to take especially good care of ourselves.

For many of us, downsizing can be a frenetic and super busy time and we may not take the best care of ourselves.

I remember how busy, from morning till dusk, our packing days were and how pizza became our diet for several days in a row. Not eating well made me sluggish and tired. And it was so much harder to deal with the stresses of downsizing!

Simple, good-for-you things, like eating well, getting enough sleep, taking any meds, keeping up with your exercise routine, and drinking enough water are important habits to make a priority while you are downsizing! They will make you feel physically and emotionally better.

PRAY

Prayer is a very good way to deal with your emotions too. When we downsized I stayed close to God through prayer. I prayed for everything and I mean everything! When my stress level went up my prayers went up to the Lord!

Knowing God was in control (even though I think I am most of the time) was a very important part of keeping calm and carrying on! Bobby and I decided, when we first thought we might like to move into Tanglewood, that we would pray and walk through the “open doors” God provided. And if for some reason God shut doors and things did not work out, then they were not God’s will for our lives.

This truth gave us lots of peace!

Prayer is a powerful weapon against emotions that are defeating!

FOCUS ON THE GOOD

There is a lot of good about downsizing! Lots and lots! So let’s focus on every single good thing! Every single one!

One of the things that made downsizing easier for me was to think about all the things I loved about the Tanglewood House. I got laser-focused on the reasons why we decided to move and that really helped. I actually became quite excited!

Another thing that helped was we also started praying for the new sweet family that would move into StoneGable. We were so thrilled for them!

There are lots of feelings and emotions that go along with downsizing. Just make sure to focus on and spend time dreaming about all the good things too!

Think of all the fun and healthy changes you will be making in your life!

GET HELP IF YOU NEED IT

If you are having an especially hard time downsizing or feel stuck in your emotions, please get help!

Talking to professionals will do anyone going through the stresses of downsizing a whole lot of good!

Don’t live with negative emotions and don’t be a martyr and try to handle your emotions if they are making you sick or depressed!

NEXT DOWNSIZING TOPIC

THE EMOTIONS OF DOWNSIZING- SATURATED HYDRANGEAS

We’ve talked a lot about the emotions of downsizing. And they are a very real and important part of the process!

But there are lots and lots of benefits of downsizing and that is what we will talk about next month.

If you have a story about downsizing please share it below. And let us know how you handled all the emotions of downsizing in the comments.

YOU MIGHT LIKE TO READ THESE DOWNSIZING POSTS…

OUR DOWNSIZING STORY, PART 1

OUR DOWNSIZING STORY, PART 2

OUR DOWNSIZING STORY, THE FINALE

10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT DOWNSIZING

PIN FOR THE EMOTIONS OF DOWNSIZING POSTS

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69 Comments

  1. Amy macfarlane says:

    Freedom, pure and simple!

  2. Linda Buchanan says:

    Downsizing is really a gift you give to your children. A friend recently lost her mother. In addition to dealing with the pain of that loss, she and her siblings will have to spend countless hours sorting through a three-story house. My mother passed away after a long stay in a nursing home. At least it was a relief that I did not have any possessions to sort through. I recently read of two brothers who have not spoken in years because of a pair of lamps. If the parent knew this, I am sure that parent would be heart broken. During the pandemic lockdown, I went through all my photos and digitized them. Photo albums take up lots of space and I rarely looked at them. I also got rid of framed photos that were stored in boxes. I thought that was a good place to start my downsizing. If you have any special pieces that you wish to give to someone, do it now while you can witness their happiness. If you are not ready to part with that item, write down your wishes somewhere. My mother had a funeral folder where she stated her wishes. She had also pre-planned her funeral with a reliable local funeral home. What a blessing that was.

    1. CarolBinTX says:

      Every time I touch something in my decluttering efforts I ask myself, what would my kids do with this item? Because my kids are ruthless! They don’t have emotional attachments to things! I still have a lot of CDs and DVDs, I condensed them to those cases with the pockets…but I am thinking of getting rid of those too!

      1. I had to laugh at the comment, “my kids are ruthless”. I know! But they have their own lives and things that have meaning to us might not to them.

    2. You are right Linda! Right now we are still in an ample home but maybe in 15 years or so we will think about a retirement community.

  3. carolBinTX says:

    perfect timing! Our daughter and her husband bought a house in Chicago recently…basically on a whim. This will put her in the same city as her brother. We have lived 5 miles from her these last 7 years and I help her out several times a week. We’re trying to decide what to do…perhaps a second home. I have been decluttering in anticipation but some decisions are extremely difficult. We have been in this house 35 years!

  4. As I will soon be facing this situation, I always look forward to your posts on downsizing, as well as reading comments from other readers about their experiences. While this is likely not the proper forum for this, my issue is that my husband wants to move to a new state – a colder, more isolated state, and much, much further away from our daughter. We really do not see eye-to-eye on this issue at all. I am happy to stay in Colorado where we have lived for over 40 years. This is causing me so much angst and anxiety. So for me, this is much more than just downsizing into a smaller home in my community, but creating a whole new life in another state where we do not know a soul. However, as you suggest, Yvonne, I am praying, praying for God’s will and will continue to do so. And will go through the doors that He opens for us. I would love to hear others’ experiences in this regard, as well. Thank you for continuing to bring this life-changing situation to the forefront.

    1. I am going through the same thing, Joie. Don’t know how to handle it!

      1. Join a newcomer’s group , and within that, are different groups such as book club, garden, decor, dragon boat paddle…. I met many lovely ladies and to this day (15 years later), we are still friends. Make the most of your new home. Family is only a small part in your life. Having new things to do and new friends brings life to your current situation. Enjoy retirement!

      2. It might be a good idea to have an impartial 3rd party to help you through this.

    2. Hi Joie, it might be a good idea to get an impartial 3rd party to help you with this impass.

  5. Patricia Grillos says:

    We recently downsized and moved across the country — from California to Tennessee. The hardest part for me was letting go of family “heirlooms”. Not that they were incredibly valuable but they had been valuable and meaningful to my mother and I took many when she passed. I just could imagine her up in Heaven saying “Patricia, how can you let that go?” I just had to get over it and take what I loved and not what she loved. It was so hard, but freeing in many ways. And, oh by the way, I still brought too much stuff!

    1. Most of us do take too much stuff! Don’t let guilty feelings about family heirlooms keep you from living a clutter free life.

      1. Would really appreciate…..
        Ideas about how to get historical family heirlooms out of drawers (didn’t want anything to happen to them) actually enjoy them.
        For instance, beautiful woven coverlets (early American) , lovely hand made quilts (3 generations past) , etc.
        How to actually find “antique” buyers you can trust …for antique dolls, electric trains trains, antique jewelry etc

  6. I’ve downsized twice – the first because of my long term marital breakdown. And that was awful tough. I survived that, though. And came through the other end of the tunnel stronger, happier and more confident. I still had a lot of stuff, though LOL. Mostly books and precious china, art. Then I recently downsized again, to a house much like yours. So i’m slowly weeding through stuff I haven’t quite parted with. I also have a lot of things I’m still actively using, mostly for my garden and floral design work. And books!! Books, especially my gardening books, are hard to part with.

    1. I love books too! I just got a wonderful book called A Year At Clove Brook Farm. It’t delightful!

  7. I had no problem downsizing. My children were grown and had their own families at that point. I wanted a smaller house with an open concept so there was less to clean and we would live in most rooms, instead of having a living room and dining room that were only used for Sunday dinners and company. I gave some things to my kids and my sister, then had a garage sale to get rid of the rest. My children didn’t want my fine china or crystal but I’m fine with that. Neither do I at this point. I donated it all. With an open concept house, I felt it needed a different approach to furnishings so I bought new. I didn’t feel any of those emotions you mention. To me, it was a happy, new beginning to retired life.

  8. Yvonne, Even though our decision to downsize was a mutual one and we moved close to our 2 daughters and grandchildren it was still emotionally difficult. Leaving our home of 25 yrs and our church, friends and even our gardens was very hard let alone the decisions on what to keep and what to get rid of. But the biggest thing was realizing that at our age this would probably be our last move controlled by us. We found a lovely home and have made it our own but our priorities have changed. I thank God for our health but there are definitely more pains and less energy. Thankyou for this topic and your sage advice on downsizing and all your inspiration. Your blog has become a new morning routine in my new home.

    1. Hi Kathy! Thanks for sharing your story! Yes, we do have a few more aches and pains! I’m thrilled StoneGable is part of your morning routine!

  9. We moved into our last home when our grandkids were born.
    We loved our home and enjoyed fixing it up for us.
    We lived there 14 years and 5 grandkids of memories.
    One of our 3 daughters needed our help.
    She was diagnosed with cervical cancer at age 44.
    She moved in with us for surgery and radiation an chemo.
    She returned to her condo and to her job.
    Several months later her cancer returned.
    We sold our home an moved in with her and her dog.
    She needed more chemo and we drove her each week.
    The cancer came back several months later.
    She had to quit work.
    We felt blessed to be there for her.
    We were together 14 months when she passed away in hospice.
    She was engaged.
    We moved to a senior apartment with her dog.
    We were happy to be there for her.
    People are more important than the home we loved.
    That was 16 months ago.
    Our senior apartment is very comfortable.
    We will see her again in heaven.
    We have adjusted how we see our forever home and are okay…thanks to God.
    We are in our 70’s

    1. I am so sorry for your loss! I’m so happy you are finding peace and comfort in your new apartment.

  10. Lynne Parish says:

    I think you touched every button I felt when we sold our home of 21 years and moved out to the sticks. I did not want to move. We had spent 21 years turning a house that was previously a holding barn for dairy cattle in the 30s/40s into OUR home. Little by little, dollar saved by dollar saved. We didn’t downsize in land, we downsized in house. Hubby wanted out of our little town as it kept growing and growing. I thought I was calling his bluff when I agreed to list our home. We already knew we were going to buy our current place, knew the previous owners and had been out here several times. But he called my bluff, and here we are. On more land, with a small home we have since remodeled and built on to. It’s very nice. And, we love it! Driving is just a way to get somewhere and we just know that going anywhere is going to be a drive, just part of our day now. Going back into town that is starting to get (gasp!) traffic jams, I’m reminded of just how happy we are to be away from all the noise and chaos of a growing town.

    1. We moved to a much more remote part of Lancaster Co. And we have to drive a lot too. But when I look out my window and see the beauty that surrounds us I smile and know we made the right decision!

  11. Great post about downsizing. Although we don’t plan on downsizing our home, we do plan on downsizing our stuff. We both plan to retire in about 1 1/2 years and I do want to go through every drawer, closet, and room. I know it’s going to be hard to let many of the items go.

  12. Just came across your blog this week. I am in the process of downsizing (in Strasburg!!) after 40 years in my house. I am experiencing emotions similar to what you described. But we will be moving to a new one floor house just a mile away (can’t leave this beautiful part of Lancaster County). Looking forward to incorporating some of your decorating ideas in my new home.

    1. I know exactly where you are going. We have friends in that community. Such a lovely place with lovely views. God bless you in your new home Nichole.

  13. This has helped me purge so maybe I don’t need to downsize!

  14. MaryAnn Merrell says:

    I am enjoying your series on downsizing! We did it three years ago. It was difficult at the time, but we are so much happier with less stuff. And I will echo what you and others have said, your kids don’t want any of it!

  15. Sharing some profound words on how to think about downsizing, from my son on our last walk through the (only) home he had grown up in.
    Because of other things in his life that I couldn’t control, it was so important to me that he always knew where home was. That house was home from the day he came home from the hospital until he bought his first home. But then, I was ready to downsize.
    As we walked arm in arm through the empty house one last time, I expected us both to be really emotional. We were both quiet, surrounded by the ghosts of so many memories. Then he said. ‘Mom, now it’s just a house, waiting for the next family to make it their home.”
    And then the peace just settled in my heart, and I was certain things were unfolding exactly as they should, just as they always do when we have faith.

  16. Tonya Baker says:

    I wish I could convince my husband to downsize since we’re empty nesters. Fingers crossed!

  17. Kimberly Bruns says:

    While I agree downsizing is absolutely necessary, I think keeping it limited has some advantage. I lost my mom and dad when I was young and don’t have many memories. However as an adult, my best friend lost her mother. I had the blessing to be with her and her sister as they went through the house to go through her things. It was very cathartic for them both. They held hands, cried and laughed at all the memories these things brought back. It took a week of going through things, taking a break and enjoying time in the house they grew up in and sharing stories. It was beautiful and something I’ll remember to this day.

  18. I feel this way every time we talk about downsizing. I am excited to do it but I have such a beautiful home and outdoor space and I don’t know if I will ever be able to create this again! I know I can but there is so much beauty in what we have. We are sort of in limbo at this moment. I have all those emotions!

  19. Sage and thorough advice, as always. We helped our parents downsize and now it is our turn. I have found that it can be very difficult but a positive and hopeful attitude is so helpful.

  20. I am on the downsizing journey also. I started with something simple, books. I took them to a used bookstore, so others may enjoy them. I know I will have emotional roadblocks, but that is part of the journey.

  21. Lynn Burnett says:

    I look around at all my stuff and pity my 2 daughters and granddaughter.LOL

  22. Jill Scott says:

    A good reminder that people are more important than the things I own!

  23. Lorie Francar says:

    Downsizing is something that I have to painfully consider. I’m not ready quite yet but I know the time is coming. Your blog posts have helped me a lot especially the points about our children and grandchildren not wanting what is precious to us. You are absolutely right in stating that my possessions are linked to MY memories, not theirs, and that they are creating their own memories. Thank you for that.

  24. There is also a sense of great relief from being shackled to old memories and obligations from the past.

  25. Omg, I’m actually going through this right now. Retiring, selling my home, decluttering and dealing with the emotions of everything associated with it. Doing well but definitely experiencing all this. Thanks for a great post!

  26. Barb Bennett says:

    I downsized over the past two years preparing for a move in March 2022. Emotional—yes, but because I took more time it was also a wonderful time to remember the many people and celebrations associated with the “stuff” that could not go with us. Those events are still precious to my heart, even if the stuff isn’t with me any longer. Great post—thank you!

  27. I had no problems downsizing. My big problem is trying to get my 92 year old dad to let go of his possessions prized or not. It has been 3 years now and I could really use some advice.

  28. Nancy Tabick says:

    I really enjoyed reading this article. It’s something I really need to think about . Having 6 adult kids my house is stuffed and it’d time to get rid of. I don’t find thisto be an easy task.

  29. Oh the hydrangeas!!! Yvonne, not only is your post a huge help to those of us downsizing, you’ve created a beautiful layout of the most wonderful flower that brightened my day. I have my only living aunt visiting soon and she will ask about where is grandmas old table? or the sewing machine? or…well you get it…but I can’t keep everything so I’ll have the items that I do still have out so she can re-live a bit while she’s here. A good chatting start for us:0)…thanks for the guidance you’ve shared today.

  30. Michelle Bagby says:

    You are so right…downsizing IS hard.
    Change is especially hard (and really the only change I like is from the vending machine!)
    it’s great you moved but kept your community. It is so much harder when you move from your community and friends.
    But prayer is always right…God is always there.
    Thank you!

  31. Kristi Flournoy says:

    Downsizing is hard–the emotions that come with our stuff is hard. But then you clean out someone else’s home either to move or when they’ve passed away and I swear you want to go home and throw away everything. You can’t take it with you!

  32. This is helpful information, lots to consider before making the move.

  33. I really appreciate this series on downsizing. I have bookmarked the articles so I can return to them and reread them. It is good to know someone who has endured the process and is happy with the decision. Thank you.

  34. I have so much “good stuff” it would make me sick to think of having to pack up and move, although I would love a new house. I think I just need to get rid of all of the “I might need it one day” items I save. I really need to declutter. I just hate the idea that I might have to go buy what I just got rid of.

  35. Kim Seavey says:

    Pretty sure this will be me in the next few years

  36. I can hardly wait each month for your latest “downsizing” story. I am learning sooo much from you as we approach our own time to downsize in the next few years. Please keep writing more and more on this subject!!

  37. Your downsizing blogs have helped me get thru a difficult time in my life. Thank you .

  38. Joanne W. says:

    What a wonderful post and so timely for my family. Thank you.

  39. We have moved 5 times for my husband’s work—and although we have not intentionally downsized, we have had different size houses at different locations—due to location and affordability. I love all your ideas and advice.

  40. We downsized about 4 years ago and it certainly is a process! So worth it in the end. I have been enjoying your blog for many years…thanks so much for sharing your talents!

  41. As I read your story of downsizing, I could feel your emotions. I am so glad that you took the time to share your innermost thoughts on this. I know the time is coming faster than I want to think about it, but at least I have your experiences to help me through the process when the time comes. Our emotional ties to things should not be overshadowed by the new experiences ahead of us. thank you for sharing!

  42. So very helpful, thank you.

  43. Yvonne, we solved this issue in what we think is a clever way, at least for us! We call it “Downstairsing” instead of Downsizing. When we knew we had these big decisions to make, we looked at new homes for downsizing couples. We had price sticker shock. We didn’t like the very small lots and no privacy. After praying we felt we needed to stay put in our home and enjoy our 1 1/2 wooded acres location, but add a bedroom, bathrooms and an office downstairs. By building onto our house, we are able to live very happily downstairs. Downstairsing was the best option for us.

  44. So many pros and cons are floating in my brain with downsizing. Decided to start by taking on closets and storage shelves. Hopefully I’ll discover less is more and then move on.

  45. Lisa Cress says:

    I have to agree that downsizing might be the hardest thing to do…..and I don’t know that I will ever do it, but thank you for this thoughtful post. Something to think about.

  46. Deb❤️ says:

    I love reading your stories and your sage advice regarding downsizing. And actually EVERYTHING that you share. You have such a huge mothering anointing and it is beautiful to watch what God pours through you for others. ?

  47. I’m just at the beginning of an unplanned downsizing and move due to a circumstance I never saw coming. I just spent 5 years amassing antiques to fill a dream house that I will not live in and now have no where to put these massive pieces. So, I’m going to do something I have often thought of doing and start a new career with a booth in an antique shop. My tiny little farmhouse will be decorated to perfection with many rooms full of furniture left over to sell. A good start over I would say. Relying on the verse in 2 Corinthians 4:17 & 18. Unseen things are eternal!! Thanks for the encouragement!!

  48. Our current home of 1750 SF would be considered down sizing by many people. However, we could go smaller, especially with outside upkeep for my husband. Considered building a few years ago, but could find no available lot. Learning as we age that letting go is sometimes necessary and hope to do it gracefully when needed!
    Thanks for the timely post. . .