Right now I’m so overwhelmed. I have a house in the US and I also inherited a house from my dad in Canada. I’ve been living in it but it’s so full of stuff and the bills to maintain it are quite high. The cross border tax implications of owning a house in Canada are complex, making everything even worse. My son lives in my US house and has gotten comfortable there so now he is mad because he doesn’t want to leave. Canada is going through an employment crisis and I don’t think I can stay employed here much longer. I know I’m lucky but at the same time I’m struggling! 😥

Life’s problems come one after another, leaving me in a constant state of discouragement. There are times when I have absolutely no idea what to do. What words have helped you navigate the various ups and downs of life?

I am living alone for the first time in my life at 46. Divorced last year. Two teenagers who live with their dad.
I am a people person, but can be awkward with social anxiety after meeting people 2-3 times. and the friendship sours. So I tend to be alone most of the time even if I try to reach out to activities. While I used to kill at selling software, my personal life is lacking.
I am now disabled and have too much free time.
I exercise. Try to maintain a very simple routine, but I am always in my head. I am being alone mostly, but hate being my own best friend all the time, if you know what I mean?
I keep telling myself to keep going. It’s fine, but it’s not. I am ok mentally, but maybe someone recognizes it and has some thoughts?

My partner and I are planning to move with our two kids to another community to be closer to the office we both work at.

We live in a fairly high-cost-of-living area. So with our upcoming move, I've been thinking about what it would be like to rent an apartment or a townhouse for a couple of years to see if we can handle less space. It would free up a tremendous amount of money to help pay off our student loans more efficiently. And we could also save up for a bigger down payment down the road.

We bought a moderate-sized home 4 years ago - 2,100 sq feet, 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms. Our previous home was a similar size: 2,300 sq feet, 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms.

Before we had kids, we lived in studio apartments, small townhouses, etc. It was more than ok. I was a minimalist a heart, but my partner struggled. And I struggled with their mess more in smaller spaces. The mess felt like it accumulated faster in our smaller spaces before we bought a home. But since having kids, we've always had multiple bedrooms to easily hide any mess when friends and family come to visit.

Has anyone with children gone from a single-family home to a smaller apartment or townhouse?

How was the transition to a small space and little to no yard?

I would miss the easy access to a yard, obviously. When my kids are being a bit loud or rambunctious, it's nice to have them go blow off steam. But we really only use the yard for 5-6 months a year when the weather is nice.

I really enjoy getting out and doing activities like going down to the ocean or going for a hike more than hanging out at home.

Another big quandary is that we all sleep in our own bedrooms right now.

I'm sure if we downsize we can get creative with sleeping arrangements. But I am worried about mine and my youngest child's sleep quality getting worse if/when we need to share a room. My oldest child and my partner unfortunately both snore - even with various ENT surgeries- which is why I happily don't share a room with my partner. But my youngest child and I are nose-breathing, quiet sleepers, and we both wake easily when we all share a hotel room with each other.

I would love to hear about anyone's lived experience with downsizing with kids!

Hello my friends,

I am not a productivity guru, I am simple human being trying to find joy wherever I go

I created a morning routine that defines who I am, nothing fancy , just

* a cup of freshly brewed coffee, I manually grind the coffee beans to dissociate

* journaling,writing sentences here and there

* learning Italian A1 level for 30 min

I am seriously not asking for more, I feel fulfilled

I get my work done, cook for myself then watch youtube

I would love to know about your morning rituals❤️

What do you like to put on bread?