I'm Cluttered.....

ZannaPerry · May 15, 2008

I am in the process of tearing down everything off my walls, my window curtains, every little nicknack I don't need!

Yes, I still live at home so I only have just one little space called my bedroom that I can do absolutely WHATEVER I want, and right now I feel completely cluttered, and I need to take it all away to clear my thoughts.

So...I guess all I am asking is....does declutter mean less stress and a clearer mind to write?

I AM CLUTTERED!!!!

HELP!

Maryn · May 15, 2008

My brother and his wife decluttered their entire house one year, and they swear less stuff equals less stress.

If you're not sure, pack it away in well-labeled boxes or tubs and stow it someplace. If you don't open a box or tub for a year, everything in it is not necessary.

Maryn, who is also cluttered, to the max

DWSTXS · May 15, 2008

I just cleaned out my 'cluttered' and it feels great!

Yeshanu · May 15, 2008

You are not alone, Suzy. Maybe we should form a group in the self-help forum. I just spent part of today trying to de-clutter, and only succeeded in moving piles of stuff around. Ick!

Bubastes · May 15, 2008

Dooo eeet! You feel SO great after you declutter. I'm firmly an anti-clutter person and I find that minimizing the stuff does wonders for clearing the mind and lowering stress.

WildScribe · May 15, 2008

I try every once in a while and only succeed in moving things around. And I can never see my desk surface for more than a day. Alas, I am doomed.

Yeshanu · May 15, 2008

MeowGirl said:
Dooo eeet! You feel SO great after you declutter. I'm firmly an anti-clutter person and I find that minimizing the stuff does wonders for clearing the mind and lowering stress.

But... But... But... I might NEED it someday!

Bubastes · May 15, 2008

How difficult would it be for you to get another one IF you ever need it? And can you even FIND it under all that clutter? Do you want to live in a home or a storeroom?

Maybe I should be the drill sergeant for the decluttering support group?

choppersmom · May 15, 2008

MeowGirl said:
How difficult would it be for you to get another one IF you ever need it? And can you even FIND it under all that clutter? Do you want to live in a home or a storeroom?

Maybe I should be the drill sergeant for the decluttering support group?

I will be your more-than-willing first victim. I'm drowning in clutter, and I can't even figure out how to start getting rid of it.

Yeshanu · May 15, 2008

MeowGirl said:
How difficult would it be for you to get another one IF you ever need it? And can you even FIND it under all that clutter? Do you want to live in a home or a storeroom?

Maybe I should be the drill sergeant for the decluttering support group?

Are those trick questions?

Mandy-Jane · May 15, 2008

I'm a decluttering addict too. I recently went through the entire house, spending one full day on each room. It looked so good. Trouble is, now I'm back to where I started from.

Why don't husbands and kids understand that you DON'T LEAVE STUFF LYING AROUND THIS HOUSE!

Grrr!

Bourgeois Nerd · May 15, 2008

Moving a lot helps with the clutter problem. After the 4th or 5th move, you'd be surprised how good you get at throwing things out. If you don't need it, use it or really want it, then out it goes.

Southern_girl29 · May 15, 2008

But, but, but I love my clutter. It's mostly books and papers that I can't live without. Plus toys to keep my daughter occupied. You mean, I need to get rid of it?

LOL. My husband usually makes me go through things about twice a year and throw things out. I hate doing it.

tjwriter · May 16, 2008

I had no guilt or worries about pitching stuff out after I adopted the mindset that I'm being selfish by not donating the stuff I no longer need so that someone else can use it to its full potential.

That, and I moved some other stuff around so much that I finally moved it to the trash can. Hasn't given me trouble sense.

I have to do battle with my packrat tendencies every few months.

Little Red Barn · May 16, 2008

Hey Suzy, what I do about clutter:

13 Thursdays, a plan I came up with years ago for my family. Basically it’s all about ‘simplifying.’

Each member of my househould must bring me 13 objects every Wednesday, things such as their ‘toys,’ clothing etc… items which they no longer use, preferably their ‘wants’ not ‘needs’. No whining allowed. It is then separated into two piles, donations and trash, then donated or put out to trash Thursday morning.

Maryn · May 16, 2008

A lot of my clutter is nice things from my parents' and Mr. Maryn's parents' homes. It feels wrong to get rid of keepsakes that really meant something to them, but we kept way too much, you know? Especially display items that aren't really our style.

Our kids have demanded that starting at age 65, we rid ourselves of 10% of our possessions every year. It'd be great, but frankly, I don't see it happening.

Maryn, who finds decluttering emotionally draining

ZannaPerry · May 18, 2008

Hey! This is all helping me out a lot!

Ways I like to declutter is if I buy a new outfit, I throw one out if I hadn't worn it in the last six months. I love buying clothes, but I practically have a seperate room for my clothes. I also have lots and lots of books and I just can't get rid of those! I love books, and a lot of papers, too, and notes and, and, and....ugh! I sound like a true cluttered woman.....

A confused one.

I bought a small three shelf bookcase yesterday and it holds most of my books and writings, and such and it's small enough where I can breathe and not feel like it is suffocating me. My desk that was once a corner desk is not only a table (smallest part of the desk) and even with it, I am having second thoughts because it's wobbly.

So, it feels I have more room in my bedroom, but still........I just want my bedroom to be my bedroom! I don't like having electronics in my room, but it's a must at the moment.

Komnena · May 19, 2008

I've set a goal of culling two thousand books by midnight December 31 and I've got to work on it now.

Shadow_Ferret · May 19, 2008

Interesting. And here I'm on a cluttering spree. My father died and he had thousands of books and many of them have made it to my house. The basement is like a maze of boxes. Not to mention I've been on a Silver Age comic hunt.

tjwriter · May 19, 2008

Maryn said:
A lot of my clutter is nice things from my parents' and Mr. Maryn's parents' homes. It feels wrong to get rid of keepsakes that really meant something to them, but we kept way too much, you know? Especially display items that aren't really our style.

Our kids have demanded that starting at age 65, we rid ourselves of 10% of our possessions every year. It'd be great, but frankly, I don't see it happening.

Maryn, who finds decluttering emotionally draining

One method I read of, I think it may have been from Get Organized Now, suggests gathering up all the items and doing photos of it all. Then, even if you get rid of it, you still have the photos of the precious items to go with the special memories.

Cthulhu · May 19, 2008

tjwriter said:
One method I read of, I think it may have been from Get Organized Now, suggests gathering up all the items and doing photos of it all. Then, even if you get rid of it, you still have the photos of the precious items to go with the special memories.

But then you just seem really really crazy with pictures of your old stuff...versus looking like a packrat with all of your old stuff itself. I choose packrat over looney any day.

JoNightshade · May 19, 2008

Bourgeois Nerd said:
Moving a lot helps with the clutter problem. After the 4th or 5th move, you'd be surprised how good you get at throwing things out. If you don't need it, use it or really want it, then out it goes.

Ditto to this. I moved so often during my childhood and in college that I was able to fit everything I owned in the back of my own truck. Knowing I could pack up and drive off whenever I wanted/needed to was actually a very nice feeling. Of course since I've gotten married that's no longer possible (especially as we invest in nicer furniture), but I've retained the habit of combing through the house every few months. When things start to get toooooo cluttered it bothers me and I can't concentrated on other things. So I usually do a major clean before I start a new novel, something like that. Once my environment is aesthetically pleasing, then my brain can move on.

Bourgeois Nerd · May 21, 2008

Well, I just finished moving to my new place and uh, I'm disappointed with myself. Not quite the uncluttered perfectionist I thought I was. Very humbling. Man, I'm still throwing sh^#$t out. How did I accumulate this much crap? My carbon footprint is growing by the minute.

Still, my DH insists that we're not as bad as most people. I shuddered.

I'm Cluttered.....

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