Why Minimalism Is the Perfect Lifestyle for Seniors

For seniors, minimalism can be the perfect lifestyle for them to live.

Being older makes life a lot harder to go through. Think about how hard it is for your grandparents. Or if you’re a senior reading this, you already know. The aches you wake up with. Not getting around as quickly. Getting tired more easily.

Basically, being old can really suck sometimes.

But living to old age should be more of a blessing and less of a burden. And through following the teachings and practices of minimalism, it can be.

What do seniors want?

When I think about what seniors want, I think about my grandparents. They spend most of their days at home, in church, or going out for a walk. And most of all, they really enjoy time with family.

Simple living for seniors isn’t an entirely foreign concept. In a way, seniors are already practicing some minimalism in their life. Because they seek after what’s meaningful to them. They take it easier more, and just try to enjoy the simple pleasures.

What can minimalism and simple living offer seniors?

Minimalism and simple living can offer seniors many benefits. For example, minimalism can help seniors have a much easier life physically. As I talked about earlier, old age can be tough on the body. Lots of work can tire seniors faster than other age groups.

So with less things, seniors won’t have to move things around as much. And they don’t have to go through the daily tasks of cleaning as much. The less they have to take care of, the better. And they can also have less of a hard time finding things too.

We all know how tough memory can be for older folks. So with everything organized and simplified, that can help decrease that challenge. Overall, with less to physically and mentally deal with, that’s less stress and anxiety. And that can help our seniors live longer.

Minimalism can help seniors with retirement

The economy is up and down these days. Who knows how much social security is going to be left for future seniors? Add to that, people are living longer and longer. My own living grandparents are in their 80’s and 90’s.

So having money saved for retirement is more important than ever. And minimalism can help seniors do that. Because minimalism leads people to buy less. And it also leads people to spend money more wisely, only spending on items or experiences that are meaningful.

In addition, seniors giving away the things they don’t need helps them have more money. The items can be sold, or if the item is just given away, it’s a less of cost to deal with. Because you don’t have to spend money maintaining or cleaning it.

Lastly, with more time spent focusing on new hobbies and passions, seniors can possibly create things that people might want to buy. That gives them new purpose that can stay with them for the rest of their lives. A minimalist retirement lifestyle can be the best way to retire.

Older minimalists can relieve the burden of death

One of the best motivations for a senior to start minimalist living is helping their family. Seniors are very aware of their life getting closer to the end. They know they’re going to die eventually. And with death comes all the things that are left behind.

I talked about this in an earlier post on why it’s important to talk about death as a minimalist. Often seniors will leave behind a house and a bunch of items filled in it. And sometimes other unexpected issues can come up.

Minimalism can help relieve the burden of death on a senior’s next of kin. First, there can be less items to deal with. Second, if you’re a senior, you can instruct them what to do with those items. That can be the biggest part of the stress a family can deal with.

Should I give away this? Should I keep that? What would they have wanted me to do? You can spare them all of those questions by leaving a documented up to date will. In addition, perhaps you can tell them what to do with your remains to save trouble to.

One family agreed to sell what they could, recycle and give away the rest, and clean up the house to sell. Some minimalist seniors even decide to just rent a place to stay. It’s smaller and easier for them to manage, and less trouble for the family after they pass.

A friend of mine isn’t a senior yet, but recently in a conversation about death, she told me she wanted to be cremated. She wants to save her family the time, money, and stress of having a funeral, which can be expensive.

As you can see, whatever plans are decided, it can be an act of love for a senior to practice minimalism as they get closer to death.

Minimalism reminds seniors they don’t have to live in regret

The purpose of minimalism beyond decluttering is finding meaning in life. Doing what you truly enjoy and living out your purpose. Some seniors can look back on their past and think it’s too late to live their dreams.

Or that they missed out on their chance to do something great in life. But minimalism can remind seniors that they don’t have to live in regret.

Through minimalism, millions of people have discovered true meaning and purpose in their lives. They’re finally living out the life they’ve wanted. A senior can get that same feeling too.

By removing the unnecessary clutter, a senior can focus back on what they really want, and use the rest of their life to pursue it.

Minimalism for seniors

Minimalism for seniors can mean a lot of different things. For some, it could be moving into a smaller place. For others, it could be trading all their possessions and traveling around the world.

Whatever that version of minimalism is, a senior can benefit from letting go of the clutter. Through improved health, increased finances, more focus on passions, and more family time, minimalism proves to be the perfect lifestyle for a senior to adopt.

Whether you start being a minimalist over 60, 70, 80, 90, or even 100, it’s never too late to start a minimalist retirement lifestyle. You can start now, and become happier today.

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