All of my Christmas and other holiday totes have been sorted, de-junked, labeled, and neatly stacked in the shed. No more living outside on the side of the house!! There were so many casualties! I lost lots of bulbs and other decor to the weather.
Note: It isn't a good deal if it goes to waste due to improper storage!
I also sorted through a memory box and de-junked piles and piles of paper. Some of them are identity sensitive, so I'm thinking of having a little bonfire this evening... :)
I am going to vacuum my office for the first time in, dare I admit this?!?!, about a year or more!!
I can barely begin to express the feelings and emotions that come with de-cluttering! I spent an hour last night reading old journals to my family. We laughed so much at the musings of an eight year old me. It was wonderful! It also brought up some painful memories and I had a few ah-ha moments, understanding things about why I am who I am...
Anyway, be warned that spring cleaning may be not just physically demanding, but also emotionally and mentally strenuous!
I was validated by several articles that I have read recently from some spring time magazines that I found at the recycling bins the other day.
Apparently, there are all kinds of emotions involved with not only discarding mementos and objects from your past, but also in holding onto said items. It was really interesting and helped me to understand all those people I see on "Hoarders: Buried Alive."
Here is a vital tidbit that I learned in my reading, that makes a lot of sense and hopefully will be as inspirational for you as it has been for me! The clutter in your home, yard, garage, not only takes up prime real estate physically, but it also takes up major valuable space in your mind.
Think about it; how stressed do you get when thinking about all that junk in the attic that needs to be sorted and taken care of?? Or coming home from work, ready for dinner, do you not just go crazy looking at the piles of papers and bags of unknown items covering your dining table?? Piles and mounds, stacks and stacks, everywhere you turn! It could make a person absolutely nuts!
So why do we hold onto all of it?? One reason is obvious; it's easier than making the necessary effort to sort and de-junk. But also, we have memories attached to these items. Hoarders, people who really have a mental disorder, have this distorted belief that if they discard an item, they will be discarding the associated memory, or betraying the person to whom the item once belonged. It can get pretty complicated.
I was really understanding this, as I sorted through items reminding me of people no longer with me, friends, family, ex-husband, etc.
I found several great ideas about how to tackle this problems and good ways to get the job done. Here are just a couple of them:
-Take photos of items you want to remember that can be stored on your computer.
-Scan papers, letters, kids' art projects onto your computer.
-Write a journal of the memories associated with different items, attach pic and then let the actual item go.
-Ask yourself a few questions regarding each item:
--Does this item make me happy?
--Does this item bring me unneeded stress?
--Do I have multiples of this item?
--Have I used it in the last two years?
--Does it have a home in my home? (piled in the attic or garage does not count unless it is a seasonal item)
The point is, there is a way to tackle this huge endeavor! Take 15 minutes or one assignment each day. Don't think about all that remains to be done. Take it one item at a time if you have to. The most important thing is to make quick decisions so that you don't become overwhelmed and end up quitting.
You can do this!! Look online for all kinds of helpful tips on decluttering, organizing, donating and recycling.
The feelings of peace and happiness that come with a clean, organized home are so fabulous! It is worth it!!!
Wouldn't you love to spend less time looking for things?? Come on friends! Get started!! :)
Note: It isn't a good deal if it goes to waste due to improper storage!
I also sorted through a memory box and de-junked piles and piles of paper. Some of them are identity sensitive, so I'm thinking of having a little bonfire this evening... :)
I am going to vacuum my office for the first time in, dare I admit this?!?!, about a year or more!!
I can barely begin to express the feelings and emotions that come with de-cluttering! I spent an hour last night reading old journals to my family. We laughed so much at the musings of an eight year old me. It was wonderful! It also brought up some painful memories and I had a few ah-ha moments, understanding things about why I am who I am...
Anyway, be warned that spring cleaning may be not just physically demanding, but also emotionally and mentally strenuous!
I was validated by several articles that I have read recently from some spring time magazines that I found at the recycling bins the other day.
Apparently, there are all kinds of emotions involved with not only discarding mementos and objects from your past, but also in holding onto said items. It was really interesting and helped me to understand all those people I see on "Hoarders: Buried Alive."
Here is a vital tidbit that I learned in my reading, that makes a lot of sense and hopefully will be as inspirational for you as it has been for me! The clutter in your home, yard, garage, not only takes up prime real estate physically, but it also takes up major valuable space in your mind.
Think about it; how stressed do you get when thinking about all that junk in the attic that needs to be sorted and taken care of?? Or coming home from work, ready for dinner, do you not just go crazy looking at the piles of papers and bags of unknown items covering your dining table?? Piles and mounds, stacks and stacks, everywhere you turn! It could make a person absolutely nuts!
So why do we hold onto all of it?? One reason is obvious; it's easier than making the necessary effort to sort and de-junk. But also, we have memories attached to these items. Hoarders, people who really have a mental disorder, have this distorted belief that if they discard an item, they will be discarding the associated memory, or betraying the person to whom the item once belonged. It can get pretty complicated.
I was really understanding this, as I sorted through items reminding me of people no longer with me, friends, family, ex-husband, etc.
I found several great ideas about how to tackle this problems and good ways to get the job done. Here are just a couple of them:
-Take photos of items you want to remember that can be stored on your computer.
-Scan papers, letters, kids' art projects onto your computer.
-Write a journal of the memories associated with different items, attach pic and then let the actual item go.
-Ask yourself a few questions regarding each item:
--Does this item make me happy?
--Does this item bring me unneeded stress?
--Do I have multiples of this item?
--Have I used it in the last two years?
--Does it have a home in my home? (piled in the attic or garage does not count unless it is a seasonal item)
The point is, there is a way to tackle this huge endeavor! Take 15 minutes or one assignment each day. Don't think about all that remains to be done. Take it one item at a time if you have to. The most important thing is to make quick decisions so that you don't become overwhelmed and end up quitting.
You can do this!! Look online for all kinds of helpful tips on decluttering, organizing, donating and recycling.
The feelings of peace and happiness that come with a clean, organized home are so fabulous! It is worth it!!!
Wouldn't you love to spend less time looking for things?? Come on friends! Get started!! :)
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