According to statistics from the American Psychological Association, 74% of older adults say that they are stressed. Stress is connected to many adverse health outcomes, so this figure proves that seniors must take steps to reduce stress in their lives. One of the most effective ways to do so is to downsize belongings. Clutter often causes anxiety, but downsizing is an effective antidote. Seniors can start by getting rid of the six items shared below by Shippy Realty & Auction.
1. Home Repair Stress
For seniors, downsizing can significantly reduce the burden of home repair and maintenance. A smaller home often means fewer systems and structures to maintain, such as plumbing, roofing, or large yards. With less space to manage, ongoing repairs and unexpected issues become less frequent and less overwhelming. This shift allows seniors to focus more on enjoying their time rather than worrying about costly or time-consuming upkeep.
2. Anything You Don’t Want to Move
Once you’ve listed your home on the market, you must decide whether you want to move all of your current belongings. You probably don’t, and it’s important to be selective about what truly deserves a place in your next chapter. If the stress of moving an item is greater than the value that it adds to your life, moving is the perfect opportunity to downsize by eliminating these belongings. Take a look at everything you own, identify any items that fit this description, and arrange for a donation pick-up service to collect them.
3. Riskier Investments
Simplifying your lifestyle by downsizing your home can also serve as a prime opportunity to reassess your investment strategy, especially as you approach retirement. With fewer home-related expenses, you may find more financial flexibility to allocate funds toward retirement savings or other long-term investments. Downsizing can also free up equity that could be reinvested in more stable or income-generating assets. Taking this step allows you to align your financial goals with a more manageable and sustainable lifestyle.
4. Items That Are Outdated
Seniors often hold onto items that have sentimental value, but you might also be holding onto items that are simply outdated. If you have a hair dryer that’s a few decades old, for example, you can probably get rid of it as part of your downsizing process. New models are likely safer and smaller, so they will consume less space.
5. Paperwork That Can Be Digitized
Yet another effective downsizing strategy is eliminating old paperwork you no longer need. If you suspect that you may need to reference a document in the future, you can digitize it as a PDF and store it in the cloud. This helps you downsize without losing access to important files. If you discover you have a lot of PDFs that you’d like to keep in one central file, look for a merging tool; you may consider this option so that you don’t have to fuss with a lot of different files relating to one particular topic.
6. Belongings That You Don’t Need
It’s important, too, to honestly assess whether or not you need everything that you own. Of course, you are entitled to hold onto items that represent fond memories, even if you don’t technically need these belongings. For all other items, though, you should assess whether it offers significant value or joy to your life. If not, it’s a good idea to get rid of it.
Get Rid of Clutter and Reclaim Control
When you have too much clutter, it might feel like you’re losing control of your life — and this will cause stress to increase dramatically. Luckily, seniors should reduce stress by downsizing, selling their business, digitizing their paperwork, and reducing unnecessary clutter.
For realty auction and property management in North Dakota, contact Shippy Realty & Auction today!
Author bio: Katie Conroy enjoys writing and created advicemine.com where she shares advice from her experiences, education & research. She particularly enjoys writing about lifestyle topics and created the website to share advice she has learned through experience, education, and research.
