Comments on: Mailbag – How to Declutter your Home Help

By: Nicky

Nicky — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 17:38:34 +0000

I sell a lot of my clutter at car boot sales and on e-bay, make a few extra pounds and it keeps the home tidy!

By: Sharon

Sharon — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:02:40 +0000

I have been dealing with clutter confusion and I realized it has to do with the stress of being afraid of making the wrong decision to keep or pitch anything. I realized the lack of ability to make decisions may be from depression from the death of several family members recently. I went to the doctor and was put on antidepressants. Wow, what a difference! They have changed my life! Before I didn’t see dirt or clutter, or it just didn’t bother me enough to get off the couch and do something because I couldn’t decide where to start! Now I just keep going through the house without thinking and do whatever I see needs to be done. I have gathered boxes and put everything I don’t use currently in the boxes to post on freecycle. I’m so excited that my house is staying clean and more organized. I hope I can stay this “normal” and motivated with energy enough to get things done every day. I wound’t mind being on antidepressants for the rest of my life if they keep me this energized. I never thought a drug could change my life in such a dramatic way. Good luck and more women than you could ever imagine are in the same boat. Love you, Sharon

By: Pat B

Pat B — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 03:23:05 +0000

Hi Tina,
Just because Protective Services has been called does NOT mean the very worst, it really, really doesn’t; they do NOT want to take your children, they really really don’t; their goal is to assist you with getting things done to keep them in the home, and ASAP,= have you thought about asking them for help with this to get you motivated? They may have a budget for a chore worker to come and help you, you just never know. Also reach out to people you know and any family around, because this is a crisis; ask them if they can come and help you do the initial stuff for now, just to get you started.
Then like the others said, make up some new family rules that everyone has to take care of their own dirty clothes, put their own clean clothes away, take care of their own dirty dishes, as in rinsing them before sitting them in a neat stack to be washed, etc etc; you can do this, it will take a lot of gumption.
Have you been depressed at all, having any symptoms of being ill? Perhaps a visit to your family Doctor is also called for, just for a check up. You never know…
I wish you all the luck in the world on finding how to get your butt in gear, just try to break it up into small parts, start in your bedroom, and get the family to help as much as possible. Get some motivating music going maybe, do things a different way than usualy to get them done.
Take care
Pat B

By: Kellie

Kellie — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:14:00 +0000

Hi Tina,
Grab those garbo bags and laundry baskets and start at the door to your bedroom, then just clear a path to your bed then clear your bed, if you are going to keep an item then put it in a basket if not then strait into a bin bag, no need to make a decision on what to do with it just yet as long as you have decided not to keep it. I find that I get cought up on trying to decide what to do with it once I have made a choice to get rid of it, so now I just make one of two choices Keep or Go. I have found that I can move through a room a lot quicker and get a lot more done this way and I don’t feel overwhelmed.
Chin up as long as you believe in the change you are trying to make you will win in the end.

By: Birgit

Birgit — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:43:48 +0000

Hi Tina,
I had a large task after my divorce, I had to renovate and move a farm in 12 weeks. I broken things down in a list into managable tasks first renovate the cottage, to make it liveable for my kids and i spent 8 weeks plastering and painting and repairing the cottage, then i had 6 days with a girlfriend i sat comatosed on the beach regrouping…lol. then i went back and cleaning up the farm… this was not a easy task as i had collected huge amounts of stuff, u know u might need it one day. I had enough material to make clothes for a large department store i donated it to the local high schools for underpriviledge kids. There are always underlying reasons why we collect things… a feel of lack sometime in our lives, and empty feeling that we feel we have to fill with stuff.. then we look at the job and it becomes overwhelming… take heart it can be done and Tina I have faith that u are ready to change your life… and yes if u want the people around u to change it starts with u. (lead by example) And remember when u create a vaccun u make way for better stuff, so be ruthless. Have a garage sales envolve and unite the family, get them envolved as i’m sure this is not just ur problem. Go and make the shift u want to see.
Best wishes Birgit