Chores like cleaning out the gutters and pruning the hedges are tasks that most homeowners dread. And those are just the seasonal obligations. Anyone who owns a house or lives in a large apartment knows just how much work is required to maintain a clean and organized home.
Therefore, one of the benefits of growing old is having the opportunity to do more with less. In a recent article published by the Wall Street Journal, editor Ellen M. Kozak praised the bare-bones lifestyle of Mother Hubbard. She referred to it as extreme downsizing.
“This is not mere decluttering,” she explained. “Extreme downsizing is, like old age, not for sissies. You start by realizing that if you lived in an apartment, you wouldn't need all that lawn and garden equipment.”

As Kozak grew older, she realized that much of the items that she spent so much time dusting weren’t necessary anymore. She fanaticized about ridding herself of all the clutter. Her zeal to purge, however, isn’t necessarily something that every older individual can get on board with. For many, the thought of moving into a smaller space is a big pill to swallow.
The silver lining is that no one expects a person to just wake up one morning and dispose of everything they’ve ever owned. The process is by no means a short one. Perhaps a good piece of advice is to picture what your life would be like minus all of those annoying chores. To actually make the shift, get yourself mentally prepared first and then the rest will come naturally.
To learn more about how to downsize, stay tuned to the Freedom Home Care blog. We’ll post tips and advice for how even you can become an extreme downsizer.