Making big changes in life is scary, difficult and overwhelming. But who’s to say it can’t also be exciting, freeing and a way to explore your life in a whole new way? Downsizing is a step people often take when they’re ready for a smaller living space, when making a distant relocation, or when they just want to simplify their homes and minimize their possessions.
Here are some downsizing tips that might make this transition a little easier:
- Document your possessions: Take photos of the things you won’t be keeping due to downsizing, or simply to maintain an easily accessible visual record of your valuables and memorabilia.
- Give yourself time to grieve: It’s okay to cry, long for and even have resistance to letting go. These belongings and the memories associated with them have filled your life with substance, color, and maybe are reminders of other big changes you’ve experienced. There is no “right” way to downsize and you’re not alone in this special kind of grief.
- Start a gratitude journal: Take a few moments each day (or week) to write about the things you most appreciated in your life. Maybe the things you journal about are the possessions you’ll have to re-home, or maybe it’s the people, places and memories associated with them.
The importance of social support in overall senior wellness.
So what is “social support?” Social support is any form of relationship you have with another person, creature, or community in your life. Studies show that people of all ages benefit from having quality social support systems, so much so that it can actually impact their physical and mental health if they lack this support. Stop and ask yourself: “Who are my healthy social supports and how can I continue to engage with them for mutual benefit?”
Facts to know about senior isolation:
- Social isolation in seniors can be as harmful to their mortality as smoking or high cholesterol.*
- Studies have shown that older adults who have a social support system have a lower mortality risk.*
- As individuals age, the quantity of social relationships may decrease, but the quality may increase and lead to greater life satisfaction.*
*Haber, D. (2016, p. 317) Health Promotion and Aging.Springer Publishing Company.
