too much stuff and feeling tired!

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too much stuff and feeling tired!

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Started 1 year ago by nadiya
Latest reply from DeclutterDiarist
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nadiya
Member

hi, my name is nadiya and i decided to join today after lurking for a long time. this is a great site and i'm SO happy i found it. my goal for 2011 is to get rid of clutter and save $$.

i'm starting to feel overwhelmed with all my clutter and i hate it. i started getting rid of stuff last year and i made a dent but lately i look around and all i see are "little things" everywhere. ugh!! my room is tiny and i feel like i'm suffocating. my stuff is in boxes everywhere. i have bags full of stuff stacked on top of each other too. basically if i can cram stuff in it then it counts as storage. i try to get rid of things but then i'm overwhelmed with where to put an item. like how can i put away something when the place it should be in is already cluttered with no space LOL! anyways i just feel tired of it and want this crap outta here. i look at my room and realize it's just STUFF so i feel it's easy to get rid of clutter but then i start going through it and it's hard. :(

i want my room to be my sanctuary and a place i look forward to hanging out in. i want pretty bedding for my bed, crystals hanging in the window, a pretty plant, maybe a fountain so i can hear the water bubbling (or i'll get a small aquarium), a lace curtain for my closet with strands of beads hanging from it and some candles. i want my room to have a gypsy/bohemian feel but this clutter is not doing it. HELP!

Posted 1 year ago #
SunshineR
Member

Hi, Nadiya, and welcome. It sounds like you have a really clear vision of what you want your room to look like. Do you have any storage areas?

You could start out by getting rid of a few things a day, ones that you don't like, maybe clothes that are too big/small/don't flatter you. That's one of the first things I did, and it really was a good first step for me. Once I started to have a bit of free space, the uncluttering got easier.

Another step I took was to start tuning in to my feelings when I wanted to shop. I notice that I have gotten more in touch with why I buy things, and I can ask myself if I really will use/treasure that item, or will it end up hiding in the closet somewhere... again, welcome, and let us know how you're doing.

Posted 1 year ago #
bandicoot
Member

welcome nadiya...you are in the right place.
i think most of us have been in your shoes at some point or other.
we are getting through it and you can too!

clutter actually causes exhaustion, so if you can break through the first step of starting on a small section, you will feel energised and able to get onto the next bit of decluttering.
clutter sucks the energy out of us and that is why it all feels like too much at the beginning.
hang in there...it will all improve, i promise you that.

Posted 1 year ago #
ninakk
Member

Welcome! There's this other concept on household maintenance in general called FlyLady and while I know that some are annoyed by both the look of the site and her tone, I've heard many others share their success stories. I realize that you're here, though, and want to tell you about the sink, because it's the perfect example of how to push the whole project in motion. FlyLady encourages newbies to start from their sink, which I've done three nights in a row now. My mornings are a lot happier because my sink is empty and shining. "If you have to empty it by placing its contents on the floor, then so be it" she says and I have to agree. Small steps or it becomes completely overwhelming after a very short while.

You want to have a pretty plant, you say. Well, why not treat yourself to this plant and make room by piling something elsewhere? It would be the symbol of your new path and it would bring you peace of mind whenever you glance at it. You've taken the first, significant step by coming here and a reward is in place.

What I have learned so far is not to start ripping up all areas at once, because at the end of the day there's too much stuff everywhere for me to be able to stuff it back where it came from. If you have many cosmetics and such, maybe start with those, or do the same with your clothes only, or books or music only. Personally, I feel more in control when I assign small projects that are doable within 15-60 minutes such as that one chaotic kitchen drawer or the socks drawer containing singles and socks filled with holes. I also end up finishing something, thereby giving myself the feeling of success.

If you are about to tackle less fortunate behaviour patterns, remember that it takes something between three to four weeks to change. Patience is the key and so is kindness toward yourself. The situation didn't happen over night and won't be solved in one flick either (although I sometimes wish I had one of those cool wands in Harry Potter). Come join us in the ATAD 2011 thread! You will have your sanctuary.

Posted 1 year ago #
irishbell
Member

Yes, a good idea is to tackle one area at a time.
I don't see any other way with the bags but but to empty all the bags, set everything out to find out exactly what you have and them go from there.YOu really need to know what you have before you can organize. Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better. I speak from experience. Just recently I did a several day overhaul of a basement storage area that started with transferring/consolidating christmas items from one type of storage bin(opaque) to another(clear). It got way worse before it got better. But just keep it up, do a little at a time and you will get thru it!

Posted 1 year ago #
irishbell
Member

Another good tip- take a photo of your room the way it is, and as it gets closer to what you want it to be. Look at the pic and decide what looks like too much, not enough or whatever. It's like you're looking at someone else's room, it's easier to be non-biased when you decide what looks good and what doesn't.

Posted 1 year ago #
susanintexas
Member

Just doing a little bit a day can have a huge impact. Our two car garage was so full of stuff it was hard to walk through it and I was embarrassed every time we opened the garage door in fear that the neighbors would see the mess. I committed to 15 minutes a day, every day. It often ended up being longer once I got started, but in about 4 months it is at the point where we could easily park a car in it. It gets easier as you go and you improve your decision making skills. I still have work to do there, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Having a vision -- as you do -- is a big incentive.

Posted 1 year ago #
themusiclivez
Member

This may sound like an extreme suggestion but it helped me a lot. I put everything that I considered to be ugly/distratction/clutter in a bag for Goodwill and donated it. And I haven't regeretted it at all!

For example, I had some tchotchkes on my desk at work. I was extremely tired of looking at them. I felt bad getting rid of them because they were gifts from other people. I finally said, "That's it! If they bother me this much, they are going!" and then I donated them to Goodwill. It felt amazing to have the free space.

Posted 1 year ago #
themusiclivez
Member

Oh, and I should clarify - I meant the suggestion for knick knacks, not clothes and old paperwork and stuff that takes more time to think about and go through :o)

Posted 1 year ago #
Patch
Member

@ nadiya: I think you're already halfway there, seeing as how you already know what you want your beautiful bedroom space to look like.

Is there any way you can "start with the end in mind"? That is, empty out your bedroom of everything, down to a completely bare room. Put everything that came from there somewhere else for now: another room, a garage, a basement or attic, or even a storage locker.

Once your bedroom is completely empty, ONLY put one thing at a time back in there, and ONLY an item on your "dream bedroom" description above.

Start with what you already have and intend to keep, like maybe your bed. Then maybe add the plant. Instead of buying strings of beads, try making them by repurposing something meaningful from your house that is otherwise unused: like heavy thread and unique antique buttons or beads, that kinda thing...

Once your bedroom looks the way you described above, it truly is your sanctuary, where you can retreat when you've had enough of going through the clutter in the other space where you put everything you removed from the "old" bedroom.

Just some thoughts. Would this work?

Posted 1 year ago #
remy
Member

I agree with Patch, this method has worked really well for me!

Posted 1 year ago #
needtocleanhouse
Member

Welcome and I hear you about clutter draining the energy from one and making you tired! It was very hard for me at first but got exponentially easier as I went along. Good luck.

Posted 1 year ago #
Sesberry
Member

Such a good plan Patch - I'm doing this with the study right now - taking everything out, stripping the old wallpaper and getting some electrics sorted. Then building a big built in desk, some shelving, and putting up our art. From there I'll only put back in what we need in there, sort out some lovely storage boxes for my yarn and fabric and it's going to look gorgeous. Can't wait!!

(I'm sure I'll be less enthusiastic when knee deep in wallpaper!!!)

Posted 1 year ago #
chacha1
Member

Patch's idea is right up my alley. With such a clear vision of the room you want, nadiya, I think it might be easier for you to give yourself a clean slate and start restoring things that support that vision - rather than trying to edit your way down to it, if that makes sense.

Also, it may help you to let go of things once you have started assembling your gypsy room: it will be so very clear what doesn't belong there! Good luck!

Posted 1 year ago #
bandicoot
Member

yes, patch is onto the good plan there!

strip your room bare, clean/repair anything that needs it, and put back in just the things you want....keeping your vision in the forefront of your mind as you do so....and THEN deal with the leftovers.
doing it this way will energise and exhilarate you, whereas subtracting things one at a time can be exhausting.

and if you feel like posting photos, we have a flickr group here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/declutteringbeforeafter/

Posted 1 year ago #
DeclutterDiarist
Member

Hi nadiya and welcome - you will get loads of support here which is fab. I am on the same journey as you and have hit a bit of a wall the past three days. I was away with work for two of them but wanted to sort an area before I went away - but the magnetic sofa effect took over!

I think if you have a setback or a few days of not doing anything, the best thing to do is not beat yourself up about it. We are only human after all, and more importantly make up the rules for our declutter missions. Take a deep breath, plan your next move and crack on! Good luck and keep letting us know how you are doing

DD - http://declutterdiary.blogspot.com/

Posted 1 year ago #

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