The magic of tidying

[Dimity]

Decluttering and minimising. Taking control of house and garden, nurturing body and soul. I've read Marie Kondo and read a little on a related Swedish method and feel inspired. I've been a borderline hoarder and lived with depression for too long and want to take the initiative. Has anyone done this? Or is there anyone who'd like to try with me?

I've sorted my books and uni notes. I've decided to sell some furniture when lockdown lifts. But the other papers and STUFF in the house and the jungle outside have me beaten atm. Some mutual encouragement and support is the only thing that's going to get me through. I know I'll have to face some decisions like "will I ever use that fabric stash" or "how many books in the TBR ,pile is too many" or "where do I start in the kitchen". Boxing isn't the answer, it was a temporary reprieve.

It's going to be a contest between my commitment to getting sorted and the looming possibility of having to move and downsize for my health. Having control of my space will be a win in either the old space or a new one.

Setting goals. Celebrating achievements.  Sharing life hacks. Is anyone on board?

Dimity.

[Oaktree]

@HenryX tagging you in here - you know why. 
Hope you are not offended 

Meggle

[Last-Lament]

Hi @Dimity S

Apologies for my intrusion - I've deleted my response. 

[Former-Member]

I have found you!  A question is...do you have a garage? The reason being is that you could clear this area out (or an empty bedroom) then only put into this space what you want to get rid of. You don't need to make any other decision apart from 'these HAVE to go ' then when you have finished with the declutering, organise a skip or the salvos to take it away.

Things like material could be given to charity, arts and craft groups or schools.

Books too are well received at charity shops. Also a neighbor across the road from me has put out an old cupboard that she puts books in for people to take or swap for one of there's. But this wouldn't be getting rid off!

The jungle outside....put a sign out with 'free, please take' of excess plants or pots.

yogurt pots, ice cream tubs etc can become plant pots to use. Hope this helps?

If you have scraps of metal advertise them as artist might use them or scrap dealers?

💐🌺

[Dimity]

Hi @Last-Lament 

I'm so sorry I didn't manage to reply to you last night, I wanted to give it more thought. . I read and deeply appreciated your long and detailed contribution which resonated with my situation. I just came back to it and found you'd deleted it. The emotional wrench of tossing years' worth of efforts like your business papers - in my case work and study - is profound. It sounds as though you'd achieved a mighty clear out last week after consistent efforts for a while.

Thankyou for having written . I accept that you've had second thoughts. My loss. I'm sorry for causing you any distress.

Dimity

[Dimity]

Hi @Former-Member 

I'm glad you found me.Thanks for your suggestions. I don't have a garage but I have a spare room which may be the place to start with the boxes and filing cabinets.

I don't feel very well atm. This is my first attempt at a thread and I've just upset people. My bad.

Dimity

[Former-Member]

Oh no @Dimity don't take anyone's negativity on....you could never upset anyone. We all have the opportunity to respond to a thread or not. It's up to that person to simply walk away and be respectful if it's not for them. You keep writing on YOUR thread and enjoy. I will for one will be following you with interest.

Big day for you today, do something nice for yourself. 💞🌹

[Last-Lament]

@Dimity sincere apologies for causing you distress by removing my post, but I won't hijack your excellent thread topic with explanations. There is no negativity directed at you, nor at the subject matter, it was an attempt to protect myself. 

I'm glad you got to read it, if you get notification emails about posts, the content will be in that email. (I don't, I have all notifications turned off and rarely log in)

Yes, the emotional roller coaster of this year's worth of clear outs has been monumental. 

I wear a mask when dealing with old paperwork and dusty areas so as not to inhale dust particles and mould spores, it's there even if you can't see it, you can usually smell it - that musty old book smell. 

hope you achieve your goals bit by bit. 

[Dimity]

Thanks @Last-Lament I'm so glad I have your blessing to reread your post in my emails.

I think my papers are the biggest challenge. discarding them feels like invalidating the chunks of my life I devoted to them. Study, research., teaching. My psychologist suggested digitising what I want to keep - but it would be a big effort and digital media are so short-lived, let alone the hardware and software that are obsolete every 3 years or so. I think I might take your cue and keep what I still want to work on. 

Dimity

[Last-Lament]

I'm very glad you have the email @Dimity and can take ideas from it for yourself. 

There is a mourning process for the loss of all of those past experiences, especially when you've put so much of yourself into them - they are so much more than even the sum of their parts, aren't they. 

Digital seems like such a good idea, but becomes outdated so very quickly as you say, they were meant to last forever, but didn't. 

I really think it's the emotional attachments that slow us down from decluttering. We think we might forget about those parts of our lives, and we might do too, but for me, there's been a lessening of overall stress from making the efforts (and it IS effort) to screen and sort and cull stuff. 

One other thing I want to mention - do not cull when you are angry or really depressed - in the past I tossed things in a temper that later I realised I wished I hadn't, and when I was a teenager, my mother burned some special to me things a couple of times when she was angry with me under the pretext of 'cleaning up'.  

When you can, use, recycle, reinvest ways to use - stuff and things so you're not spending money you don't need to. 

even with food, I have a whole pile of Melba Toast packets I bought for some reason and don't snack on anymore, so have been making an eggy cheesy pan bread with them to use them up.

Get creative, have some fun trying different ideas.