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Started 1 year ago by lillac64
Latest reply from chacha1
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lillac64
Member

Hi All. I found this site last week and I think it will be a real life saver. I have been suffering from depression and I just let everything in my home go. It is so much easier just to go to bed and play games on the computer than deal with what is going on in my life. I recently started counseling and am coming to grips with that aspect of my life. Now I have to face all the "stuff" I let go over the last several years. I am by nature lazy and a procrastinator. I tend to start projects, get overwhelmed and just let them go unfinished. I am aware of the challenges I face, but I have no idea how to get started. I suppose I could be called a hoarder. Not nearly to the extent of those poor souls on the TV show, but I do have trouble getting rid of things I "may need some day".

During my recent soul searching I have identified the main areas I have to work on as follows:

1. Put things back when I am done with them. My husband complains that every horizontal surface in our house is covered with clutter. 80% of it is mine, but I am pretty sure that the level and tape measure shouldn't live on the kitchen counter where he has kept them for the last month. Resolution for this: Make a quick sweep through the house after dinner each night to see what has wandered out of its home and return it where it belongs before I turn on the TV or my computer.

2. I do not need to have all the latest tools and gadgets for my craft projects. I have a craft room that I have only entered in the last year to pile stuff in. In the last 10 years I have been a demonstrator for Creative Memories, Tomboy Tools and Stampin' Up! I have all the remains of those businesses in my craft room. Many of the items I have multiples of because I needed them for my demonstrations. Resolutions for this: A)Do not sign up for any "business opportunities" for the discount. B)Accept that I will not do projects "some day" so I don't need to buy the materials for those projects. Only buy materials for things I have a current need for or a specific project with a due date. C) Clean out the craft room of all unnecessary items, duplicates, and stuff I no longer like or need.

3. Remove all the clutter from my bedroom. Resolution for this: A)Declutter all unwearable clothing and shoes from the closet. B)Donate all but a select few of my books to Goodwill (I just got a Kindle so this will no longer be an issue). C)Remove excess furniture pieces from the room and keep the tops of remaining pieces free of clutter for a more restful atmosphere.

I have recently started doing Yoga and meditating. I am trying to bring all aspects of my life to a more Zen minimalistic place. I have been reading all the great suggestions on the blog and in the forums and I am now committing to streamline my life.

Thank you for letting me share. I look forward to beginning my journey with the wealth of information shared here.

Posted 1 year ago #
bandicoot
Member

welcome lillac!
wow, i think you are off to a marvellous start!
decluttering and simplifying really does begin in the mind....and you are already aware of how you want it to be and you have clear ideas on how to get there.
i know that you will feel lighter and happier and better when you begin to get the clutter under control.....from what i have observed, clutter and depression often go together. it's a bad circle and one feeds the other.

i am a lazy procrastinator too....i think it's human nature!
for me, this has manifested in doing a few things only, but doing them well.
i don't throw my efforts around, i focus on just a few things.
and they are things i have chosen.
so...you can make it work for you.

anyway, welcome and i'll be dying to hear how you progress!

Posted 1 year ago #
Another Deb
Member

Great to have you aboard, lillac. When I started reading your post I thought it was my husband finally recognizing that he was in trouble with clutter and putting stuff away! HA! But he's in the other room procrastinating his work by playing video games...

You have some great goals! I struggle with the craft clutter as well. I just went to a going-out-of-business sale for a scrapbook shop and bought lots of paper for some projects that are in the works and some that are on my short list.

I have made it a firm habit never to go out of a room without something to take to the right place. Leaving the closet, I take empty hangers to the laundry room. Heading through the kitchen, I restock the paper towels and take the empty roll to the recycling bin, etc.

I have also found that if I am tired at the end of the day, I should NOT sit down until I have taken care of three or four chores. Once I am at the desk, I won't even bother to get up to open a file (3 feet away).

Also, it helps to make entries in my calendar of that got accomplished. I love the "DONE" list a lot more than the "To Do" list.

Good luck and come back often!

Posted 1 year ago #
lottielot
Member

hello and welcome :) There is some great advice on this forum and everyone is so friendly. I find that uncluttering and just housey stuff generally is a)boring, b)hard work and c) lonely, so this site for me provides help with each of these. Reading about other people's efforts is inspiring, and if nothing else at least the a thing a day thread keeps me on the straight and narrow. You sound like you have a lot of changes planned, make sure you take it slow so you don't burn out. Rome wasn't built in a day, and you definitely can't unclutter a house in one either! Let alone change the habits of a long time.
Re the starting things and not finishing them, you sound a lot like me! Can I recommend a really good book which has helped me with this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/What-When-Want-Everything-Revolutionary/dp/1405093412/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1284375992&sr=1-5
Sometimes I re-read it when I feel like I never accomplish anything, but she has some great stuff to say about the different way people operate and how not finishing things can be seen as a good thing rather than a negative. I think that is an old version I put the link to, but search Amazon (sorry, don't know your country) for her books and you may find a newer version or updated one with a different title. This book has really inspired me, I didn't follow everything in it, but just writing down certain things set me along a path I hadn't previously considered, at a stage of my life when nothing was certain and I had no idea where I was going. Her 'ideas book' is also a constant part of my life, I don't use it that often but it's such a good resource to capture all those ideas which pop into your head, plus I use it to inspire me when I feel like doing a project. Anyway, it sounds like you could do with reading it, it's not actively about uncluttering, but you seem to need your mind uncluttering as much as your house :)

Posted 1 year ago #
Jude2004
Member

My brother visited me when I was suffering from major clinical depression about 15 years ago. He took one look at the house and asked, "Is this *because* of the depression or is it the *cause* of the depression?" The answer is probably both. I motivate myself with timers (I own quite a few and use Cool Timer on my computer). I think you've hit upon some good ideas to start--developing new routines as well as making a plan. A recent innovation I started is called "1 things." I have a huge, unwieldy house. I could go for weeks without entering every room. So with the 1 things list, I randomly try to do 1 thing in each of those rooms, hitting each room on the list a few times a week. Of course, if you're doing just 1 thing, that doesn't sound like much, but I frequently do more than 1 thing when I get to that room so when I return to that room, I can notice the difference. The greatest victory I achieved from this was actually going to the shop that's outside in my back yard. Because I have agoraphobia, I hadn't made it there in over a year. I'm still excited because I accomplished that. Next time that room randomly comes up, I think my excitement will help me make it again. Some day, maybe it won't be a big deal.

Posted 1 year ago #
lillac64
Member

Thank you for the support and the suggestions. Now I just need to take the first step and implement all my resolutions. I have gained a tremendous amount of insight into my clutter issues and how to deal with them. Implementation begins Wednesday when I have the day off work. Tomorrow I will set my specific goals for each room and list the necessary steps to achieve the goal and estimated time frames to meet each goal. Once all the mini goals are listed, it won't be so overwhelming. I think I will also use the alarm on my phone to time my work periods so I don't overdo what my body (Fibromyalgia) can handle. Rest and stretching breaks are a must. I have begun Yoga and meditation to unclutter my mind as well as uncluttering the house so those will be good breaks in between my working stints. Sounds like a good plan to me. Thanks for all the help in putting it all together.

Posted 1 year ago #
HelofaMess
Member

Hi Lillac. My mother had depression and, whilst it coupled with a lot of unresolved issues for her, I'm convinced that her house played a LARGE part in tipping her over the edge. She moved in in July and had NO furniture for over 6 months for various reasons. It was very, very bad indeed and because I'm overseas and my brother is in the army and was posted away we didn't realise. Once we did realise however I got her to do the fly lady 20 minutes thing and that made a HUGE difference to her. She could cope with doing things and could say "it's only 20 minutes" instead of looking at a never ending todo list.

Just take babysteps, don't overwork yourself or let yourself get overwhelmed. Any victory is a win no matter how "small"... a cleared night table is a win especially if it's clear every night.

Good luck.

Posted 1 year ago #
lazycow
Member

Welcome lillac. I agree with HelofaMess, a little bit at a time. I've been doing it for over 2 years, and am finally reaping the benefits of a massively decluttered home. The main one being a huge reduction in cleaning time :-)
Join us on the A Thing A Day thread; it's a good way to get started.

Posted 1 year ago #
chacha1
Member

Welcome lillac! +1 on doing "just a few" things before parking myself for the night. Little chores that would make me late in the morning, or make me irritated with myself if I didn't get them done till the next day, or make the cats mad (ref. not scooping the litterbox).

Best wishes and encouragement as you set about renovating your life!

Posted 1 year ago #

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