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Home Life

Maintaining a home can mean a lot of work - both inside and out. That work can become harder if you are challenged by arthritis. Counters that are too low or storage space that is too high can sabotage simple household chores. Yard work can seem more like fighting a jungle.

Don't let your sore knees keep you from digging in the dirt. You can do things to make your house easier for you to live in and maintain. The end result may be that you have more time to enjoy all your home instead of always feeling like you are running around from chore to chore.

Remember to start small. In your ten minutes of quiet time, imagine what you'd like your home life to look like. Are you sitting in a comfy chair reading a good book in a clean, clutter-free room? Or are you digging in your yard and planting beautiful flowers and tasty veggies?

After your meditation, jot down the tasks that take the longest or are the hardest for you to do. Is it regular chores like vacuuming or scrubbing bathrooms? Is it the maintenance jobs like cleaning gutters or mowing lawns?

Analyze the list for what you can make easier, do less often, or pay someone else to do. It might just mean making some minor adjustments. For example, replace curtains that need washing with blinds that can be dusted quickly or add foam or tape to the handle of the toilet brush so you can grip it better.

Then take some time to do it. Pay the boy across the street to mow your lawn or offer a neighbor free home grown tomatoes if they help you till your soil.

Check out our Home Life section to learn simple ways you can fix existing areas to make them more adaptable or, if you are ready to start completely from scratch, design tips to make your whole house and yard accessible.

You'll be amazed at how much time and energy you waste avoiding things that can be made easier with a little creative thinking. Before you know it, you'll be enjoying your home and life more.