Clutter

[stork_error]

I've been existing in clutter for about 5 years. Since my x really. It started with paperwork/ issues/ legal stuff with he and I and then progressed to random papers from courses I was taking and then books, taxes, odds and ends etc...Lately it's progressed to not washing the dishes or doing laundry, and when I do do laundry, I never hang it up. Nothing is organized ... Nothing.
I don't have the will or energy to clean and my last investment into a cleaning person was a failure. I need out of this honeysuckle. Should I throw it all out? It's really affecting my life.

 

[user 108508]

You will feel better when it's organized, but don't get overwhelmed in the meantime. Take baby steps - little projects, not a whole room or even a whole category, at a time.

Every time you get something handled, commit to yourself to keep that item/area managed - no matter how small the victory is. When you have time again, start another little project. Repeat as necessary.

For the paperwork, here is a great article on how long to keep various records.

Hope that helps and good luck. You can do it.

 

[dd11]

I feel much happier "living light". As soon as I am done with something, I get rid of it. In reality, once I have used something up, I am not going to revisit it. I have moved on. Be honest with yourself. Are there things that have value that you will honestly never use again? IF so, let them go. I don't try to sell stuff. I dont' even try to give stuff away to people. I have found that selling takes too long and most people then just want to argue about price. And, to give stuff away, usually the person wants me to do all the work of delivering it, working around their schedule, etc. No thanks. I load it all up and send it to Goodwill. I have sent a lot of valuable stuff away and thats' ok. Someone else can enjoy it.

Start small. Pick a drawer in the kitchen. You will be surprised how good it makes you feel to start organizing some things.

 

[SofiasMami]

Whenever I clean out a closet or get rid of a bag of unneeded papers or clutter, I feel like I've lost 20 pounds and there's a weight off my shoulders. The hardest part is getting started. Put on some music you like and start with a little area, once you get going it gets easier. And give yourself a little treat after you've made some progress.

-Teresa

 

[TheSkaFish]

I agree with all of these posts here. There is something calming that comes from organizing. There have been several times in my past where something has been bothering me, and to take my mind off of it for a little while, I organized all of my possessions. I gave stuff away that I wasn't using, threw old papers out that I didn't look at anymore and threw stuff away that was broken, and made a pile of things I hadn't used in almost 20 years but were still in good shape, to give away.

It felt great both knowing where all my stuff was, getting it just the way I wanted it, and seeing how much space I had freed up. And most of all it made me feel better.

 

[Aisha]

I enjoy organizing and sorting. But I agree that sometimes when you're feeling down and out, just chores can seem to be the most monumental, exhausting tasks. As the others have said take it a little at a time, and don't let yourself be discouraged by what there is left to do. Try starting with a little of the paperwork since once that is dealt with, it will not be an issue as it will remain sorted. Remove or throw out as much as is possible. I am very much an adherent of what delledonne has called living light. It makes things far easier to cope with when material possessions don't get in the way of your life.

 

[mickey]

Focus on the process and not on the product. If you stare at the totality of the clutter you'll probably feel overwhelmed by how much of it there is and the very idea that you have to clear ALL of it will very likely paralyze you. So instead stare at that one item of clothing, or one piece of paper, or one dirty dish and immerse yourself in the action of taking care of just that one thing, and then do the same for the next single thing. After a while the process will become habitual and you'll find it easier to keep going as long as you avoid looking at the big picture--except that you'll eventually be surprised to find the big picture totally taken care of.

 

[TheRealCallie]

I'm currently trying to teach my son about organization. Yeah, it's not working out so well. :club:

 

[Nicolelt]

Focus on the process and not on the product. If you stare at the totality of the clutter you'll probably feel overwhelmed by how much of it there is and the very idea that you have to clear ALL of it will very likely paralyze you. So instead stare at that one item of clothing, or one piece of paper, or one dirty dish and immerse yourself in the action of taking care of just that one thing, and then do the same for the next single thing. After a while the process will become habitual and you'll find it easier to keep going as long as you avoid looking at the big picture--except that you'll eventually be surprised to find the big picture totally taken care of.

This is really good advice. I am struggling with clutter right now. Luckily I am moving soon, so I am going to go room by room and throw out things I don't need, and pack things I need to take. I'm hoping when I move I become a little more of a minimumist.

 

[stork_error]

thanks for the replies everyone.. its all good advice and so hard to get started. Im actually a minimalist who has somehow collected ridiculous amounts of papers. I have tax papers, tax reciepts, course curriculum and notes, medical files, legal files, work stubs, work reciepts, work agendas, appointment cards, business cards, bills, resumes of all kinds and all of these things are all mixed up together. It's a bloody nightmare.

I dont have any sentimental things, aside from pictures, but even those are not organized. its not really an emotional hoarding kind of thing its a disorganized kind of thing.

i have to search through all those papers ( hundreds, maybe thousands to find my tax's so i can do them, and i have to organize all legal stuffs, and i have to get my medical files orgainized and figure out what is garbage and what is not.

Im falling apart, Im working too much to even do laundry and I dont know how much more i can take... I anticipate a heart attack soon.

I am jealous of people with money who have it easy. My life is a struggle.

 

[mickey]

Focus on the process and not on the product. If you stare at the totality of the clutter you'll probably feel overwhelmed by how much of it there is and the very idea that you have to clear ALL of it will very likely paralyze you. So instead stare at that one item of clothing, or one piece of paper, or one dirty dish and immerse yourself in the action of taking care of just that one thing, and then do the same for the next single thing. After a while the process will become habitual and you'll find it easier to keep going as long as you avoid looking at the big picture--except that you'll eventually be surprised to find the big picture totally taken care of.

This is really good advice. I am struggling with clutter right now. Luckily I am moving soon, so I am going to go room by room and throw out things I don't need, and pack things I need to take. I'm hoping when I move I become a little more of a minimumist.

Remember the PROCESS is the thing. What should fill your mind is "I am picking up this piece of paper, I am looking at it, i am seeing that it is a grocery store cash purchase receipt from 1997, I am putting it through the shredder." Just like that. Think about what you're actually DOING and completely avoid thinking about what you have to GET DONE.

 

[stork_error]

Focus on the process and not on the product. If you stare at the totality of the clutter you'll probably feel overwhelmed by how much of it there is and the very idea that you have to clear ALL of it will very likely paralyze you. So instead stare at that one item of clothing, or one piece of paper, or one dirty dish and immerse yourself in the action of taking care of just that one thing, and then do the same for the next single thing. After a while the process will become habitual and you'll find it easier to keep going as long as you avoid looking at the big picture--except that you'll eventually be surprised to find the big picture totally taken care of.

This is really good advice. I am struggling with clutter right now. Luckily I am moving soon, so I am going to go room by room and throw out things I don't need, and pack things I need to take. I'm hoping when I move I become a little more of a minimumist.

Remember the PROCESS is the thing. What should fill your mind is "I am picking up this piece of paper, I am looking at it, i am seeing that it is a grocery store cash purchase receipt from 1997, I am putting it through the shredder." Just like that. Think about what you're actually DOING and completely avoid thinking about what you have to GET DONE.

I'm trying to get started right now but I still feel paralyzed and cant seem to do it. I just want to throw it all out. I wish I could just have a way to remove the important stuff and have the rest go to garbage, but I cant even hire somebody to do that because they wont know what is important and what isnt. I hate hate hate this. I was supposed to have it all sorted today so that I could have the cleaning lady in to do my floors kitchen and bathroom. She keeps calling me and i cant call her back because i cant even find my phone. Or my bank cards or my visa. Its so awful. I see no options. help :""""""""""(

 

[VanillaCreme]

As much as I grew up in such a neat-freak house, and as OCD-ish as I am about many things, sometimes I don't feel like doing things either. What I suggest is to put on some music or radio and just listen while you clean or tidy up. It makes things go much faster in my opinion. I usually listen to some podcasts I need to catch up on, and it honestly makes folding clothes and such seem like it's not so mundane.

 

[stork_error]

As much as I grew up in such a neat-freak house, and as OCD-ish as I am about many things, sometimes I don't feel like doing things either. What I suggest is to put on some music or radio and just listen while you clean or tidy up. It makes things go much faster in my opinion. I usually listen to some podcasts I need to catch up on, and it honestly makes folding clothes and such seem like it's not so mundane.

lol, that would be a great idea if i could actually find my phone to put into my I-dock.
Instead i find myself browsing remote vacation spots that i really cant afford yet in my mind I'm leaving monday.

 

[VanillaCreme]

Do you have any other way of listening to something? While I'm folding laundry, I usually listen to things with my headset. Or a few times, I've hooked up an external set of small speakers, because for some reason I thought it was a good idea not to hook up the audio from this monitor. So it's much easier for me to use an external set.

 

[stork_error]

Do you have any other way of listening to something? While I'm folding laundry, I usually listen to things with my headset. Or a few times, I've hooked up an external set of small speakers, because for some reason I thought it was a good idea not to hook up the audio from this monitor. So it's much easier for me to use an external set.

I could use my laptop but its not very loud, I could also connect it to my tv so I suppose im just looking for excuses not to get started. Im still laying here looking for escape vacations, its awful

 

[LonesomeDay]

My mother was a hoarder and I'm doing my best to not let it creep up on me - but I think it already has.

I have boxes and boxes of vintage sewing patterns that arrived through the letterbox one-by-one - that's all it takes - a little trickle and over many years it piles up into a great big hoard!

So now I think carefully before buying anything that will take up permanent space in the house.

One the plus side, I've noticed that the sewing patterns have increased in value from about 99p to £5 each on eBay, so I could sell them at a profit.