Nov 13 Weekly Challenge: Fall Declutterfest

themedalist

Programming Note: I won’t be around too much this week as I’m having surgery on Wednesday. As such, I’ve decided to repeat one of our most popular weekly challenges...Declutterfest!! There’s just something very rewarding about diving into projects that have long been on our to do list.

I’ll be back in touch towards the end of the week. Have a great week!

Theme: Healthy Practices
Challenge: Fall Declutterfest

I have been waiting for this week to arrive.

A few days ago my daughter asked, "Hey, can we clean out the closet? It's getting really hard to find things in there and there are lots of things we don't use anymore". This was on top of our observations that the kitchen was pretty messy and the dining room needed straightening up as well. And don't get me started on the garage.

I've held off on these projects because I knew Declutterfest would soon be here and this is the week! If you're wondering what decluttering, cleaning, and organizing have to do with better health, there are at least two interesting connections. When we're working on house projects like these, we're not sitting. We are up and moving around and this light to moderate activity has lots of health benefits. In addition, for many people, clutter is a source of stress, guilt, and can inhibit focus and productivity. Clutter becomes an array of visual cues of projects we haven't finished. The articles below go into greater detail as to how clutter affects our stress, productivity, brains, and indeed our lives. Not good. So this week.... let's bag, tag, recycle, and reorganize! We will feel great when we're done!

This Week's Challenge: Whether it's one project worked on over the week or lots of smaller projects, let's get these projects done. I'm looking forward to hearing what you accomplish this week. Post a picture of your finished project if you are so inclined!

Make it a great week!

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Suggested Resources:

Why Mess Causes Stress: 8 Reasons, 8 Remedies
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/high-octane-women/201203/why-mess-causes-stress-8-reasons-8-remedies

How Clutter Affects Your Brain (and What You Can Do About It)
http://lifehacker.com/how-clutter-affects-your-brain-and-what-you-can-do-abo-662647035

The Emotional Toll of Clutter
https://experiencelife.com/article/the-emotional-toll-of-clutter/

The Cost of Clutter: How Clutter Affects Your Time, Money, and Stress
https://www.verywell.com/the-cost-of-clutter-3144688

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jlperiard

Wow. This is totally me. My house is a disaster area. This is not an exaggeration. It depresses me, causes me feelings of guilt and failure and stares me down everyday. Never letting me forget. No wonder I don't want to be home. It's not just the insane disorganization and clutter, it's also the fact that we've lived in this house for 15 years and have painted 4 rooms and a hallway.
My nice gardens and yard are overgrown with weeds; you can't see the flowers. Even outside is depressing.
It's so embarrassing and it is a reflection of me and against me. I'm so overwhelmed I don't know where to start or even if it's physically/mentally possible to conquer. I am desperate for help but who can afford that.
2 of the articles above completely explain how clutter messes with your mind, stress and emotions.
This is a great challenge and time of year to declutter- just before Christmas which is always so overwhelming for me.

SilverSheWolf55

This is an amazing challenge....and challenge it will be for me. I always feel like no matter how I organize, arrange, "declutter", etc., my house still looks like a disaster. My husband does't think so, and neither do my daughters. I guess because my home is soooo tiny, it's hard to find places for things. Hopefully, one day soon we can find the money to buy an outside storage unit.

Hope all goes well with your surgery, my friend

prgirl39mfp

Good luck on your surgery. You will be missed.

I love this challenge. I will start cleaning up one room at a time, timing myself and making sure my house stays organized for the rest of the year. I have also started cleaning up my friends and family list. Getting rid of toxic relationships. I want to start the year on a great attitude so I can continue to work on myself.

77tes

Okay, this is a challenge for me. Even though I did some major de-cluttering during the summer, some of the clutter has crept back. I plan to take 10 minutes to work on a surface every day this week. @SilverSheWolf55 , I also live in a tiny home (well, not really a tiny home like the ones you see on TV), so I really understand your problem. I suppose I really need to bite the bullet and throw things out mercilessly. I recommend Marie Kondo's book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. It is really helpful. Unfortunately, it isn't actually magic; otherwise, I wouldn't need this challenge again.

@jlperiard , Clutter really is depressing! I read a book years ago by the Side-Tracked Sisters (I no longer remember the exact title). They suggested a 15 minute a day plan. Set a timer for 15 minutes, have a box for put away elsewhere, a bag for trash, and a bag for donate. Work in a specific room for those 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, put away the things in the put away elsewhere box, and you are done for the day. If you think of the whole project it is just too overwhelming, but 15 minutes is doable.

themedalist

To @jlperiard and anyone else who feels overwhelmed and even paralyzed by clutter and not knowing where to start, @77tes suggestion of 15 minutes a day is the way to go. 15 minutes is 1% of your day, but here’s the magical part… If you spend 15 minutes a day decluttering your house you will have spent 91 hours a year decluttering and organizing spaces in your house. Over 2 full time weeks! THAT’S the power that little actions and changes can have on our lives when we repeat them over and over again. When we make these changes and actions into daily habits.

The trick is to make a small “ask“ of yourself. Something so small that you can’t say no. Something so small that you can do it every day. If you think, “I’ll spend 45 minutes a day decluttering“, respectfully, it probably won’t happen. Life will get in the way. But make a small ask of yourself and watch the magic of compounding unfold.

This process works for other things as well. I had a lifelong goal of playing the guitar. I never thought it could happen because I have limited use of my left hand and fingers. But the more I learned about habits and how the brain wants to take any repeated sequence of steps and turn it into a habit, I decided to see if I could teach myself to play the guitar. I promised myself that for one full year I would practice the guitar for 15 minutes a day. Not occasionally, not when I felt like it or thought about it, but every single day as a personal commitment to myself to see if I could play the guitar. Suffice to say that after that first year of devoting 91 hours to guitar practice, I was able to play the guitar at a very basic level. And I’ve gotten better over the last two years. No, I will never play the guitar as well as someone who can fully use both their hands, but that’s not my goal. My goal is simply to be the best guitarist that I can be. Playing has given me more joy than I can ever tell you! No, I won’t quit my day job, but I CAN play the guitar. And 30 years from now, I will be ROCKING the assisted living facility once I move there!

Set aside 15 minutes a day to do anything that’s important to you and it will change your life.

And thanks for the good surgery wishes!

themedalist

prgirl39mfp wrote: »

Good luck on your surgery. You will be missed.

I love this challenge. I will start cleaning up one room at a time, timing myself and making sure my house stays organized for the rest of the year. I have also started cleaning up my friends and family list. Getting rid of toxic relationships. I want to start the year on a great attitude so I can continue to work on myself.

I love the idea of decluttering beyond just stuff. Eliminating toxic relationships and other things that give us no joy is a terrific idea! @prgirl39mfp, good for you!

themedalist

SilverSheWolf55 wrote: »

This is an amazing challenge....and challenge it will be for me. I always feel like no matter how I organize, arrange, "declutter", etc., my house still looks like a disaster. My husband does't think so, and neither do my daughters. I guess because my home is soooo tiny, it's hard to find places for things. Hopefully, one day soon we can find the money to buy an outside storage unit.

Hope all goes well with your surgery, my friend

@SilverSheWolf55, if you eliminate enough things you truly don’t want or need, you might not need that outdoor storage unit.

Just ask @OConnell5483. She participated in our first Declutterfest last summer and after clearing out a back bedroom and shuffling some things around, she and her husband decided to stop looking for a new larger house. They took their house off the market. With the unnecessary stuff gone, their smaller house was big enough. She was quite enthusiastic about all the money they would save.

Her story remains one of my favorite “impact” stories of how our weekly challenges can truly change lives. I’ve reread her story many times.

fatbambi2017

Will be doing this challenge, need to declutter wardrobes, have got balls of wool all over the place which is annoying me, will be better in same place, will have a go tomorrow, then will tackle rest in 15 minute blocks, sounds awesome, great idea thank you!have finished some drawers this afternoon... Good luck with the surgery!!!

77tes

I made a great start today! My sister was running late for our usual Monday workout together, so I spent the extra time sorting through the pile of papers that sit next to my computer. It looks so much nicer as I sit here typing. Then, because she still hadn't called, I decluttered the spot where I keep my purse so that when I came home I could clearly see that my ticket for a ball in January had arrived (it would have been virtually unnoticeable had I not cleaned up that spot). I still had a few minutes, so I put away the clothes in my bedroom that were patiently waiting to be put in my drawers. When I came home this afternoon, it looked so nice, I put my jacket and workout clothes away immediately instead of piling them! I am feeling so accomplished and inspired. :

PackerFanInGB

themedalist wrote: »

SilverSheWolf55 wrote: »

This is an amazing challenge....and challenge it will be for me. I always feel like no matter how I organize, arrange, "declutter", etc., my house still looks like a disaster. My husband does't think so, and neither do my daughters. I guess because my home is soooo tiny, it's hard to find places for things. Hopefully, one day soon we can find the money to buy an outside storage unit.

Hope all goes well with your surgery, my friend

@SilverSheWolf55, if you eliminate enough things you truly don’t want or need, you might not need that outdoor storage unit.

Just ask @OConnell5483. She participated in our first Declutterfest last summer and after clearing out a back bedroom and shuffling some things around, she and her husband decided to stop looking for a new larger house. They took their house off the market. With the unnecessary stuff gone, their smaller house was big enough. She was quite enthusiastic about all the money they would save.

Her story remains one of my favorite “impact” stories of how our weekly challenges can truly change lives. I’ve reread her story many times.

True Story! We no longer even talk about moving! We still have that whole extra room empty which we have not decided what to do with, actually. This is my absolute favorite challenge. It really can be life changing, as @themedalist said! For us, it certainly was. Saved us thousands and thousands of dollars! (I'm so surprised you even remember that story @themedalist !)

I have also begun decluttering my life by finding a less stressful job. It took a long time and I did not take it lightly. I worked for the same organization for 23 years, and really did not want to leave, but working 65 hours a week (salaried employee) was taking too much out of me and my family life. I waited patiently for the "right" opportunity and found a position at a different organization for the same pay! It's amazing how much weight that alone lifted from my shoulders. I was really getting depressed. My last day was last Friday and I took 2 weeks off between starting my new job. And I am really excited to start a new chapter!

Today was my first day not working and so far I cleaned out my closet into a "summer" pile, donate pile and throw away pile. I shredded old documents and decluttered a file drawer, and cleaned out two drawers in the kitchen full of utensils we NEVER use, and decluttered the tupperware cupboard. Feeling very accomplished...

I love the 15 minute a day approach. I'm going to try that this week so I don't get burned out.

Good luck on your surgery! We will miss you. Take care of yourself, and we will be right here waiting for you when you're ready!

77tes

@OConnell5483 , you are the queen of this challenge. I too have had to walk away for a job that was just taking too much out of me. I think it is amazing that you were able to find something better at the same pay. I am so happy for you.

themedalist

77tes wrote: »

@OConnell5483 , you are the queen of this challenge. I too have had to walk away for a job that was just taking too much out of me. I think it is amazing that you were able to find something better at the same pay. I am so happy for you.

^^This. I’m thrilled that you all are decluttering not just your homes but your lives as well. Eliminating toxic relationships and jobs that demand too much is terrific. I know it isn’t quick or easy, but it’s one of the best moves you can make for yourself.

And @77tes, great use of a few extra minutes to declutter. It doesn’t have to be an all day or multi hour thing. A few minutes here and there makes a big difference.

Great job! When we are less stressed and happier our health and wellness can only benefit.

mxchana

Thank you for this, @themedalist : "If you spend 15 minutes a day decluttering your house you will have spent 91 hours a year decluttering and organizing spaces in your house. Over 2 full time weeks! THAT’S the power that little actions and changes can have on our lives when we repeat them over and over again. When we make these changes and actions into daily habits."

Yes, indeed... I am setting the timer and making it a daily goal of that 15 minute minimum. I find that when the timer goes off I often have time to reset it and make it a half hour. So here I go!

prgirl39mfp

Great post!

So far I have 3 garbage bags full, 2 bags for donating. I feel lighter already. What I noticed is that my husband likes to keep and collect stuff ( borderline hoarder if you ask me).

I have been a stay at home mom for 15 years and I suffered a lot from anxiety and depression and if you saw the state of my home back then you would have know right away that something was not right with me mentally and emotionally. Then one time, a friend told me " Marta, just make your bed in the morning and the dishes before going to bed" and I have to tell you, the feeling of empowerment and happiness I felt, walking up to a clean kitchen was exhilarating. Same when going to bed and looking at my bed all nice and neat. Funny how messes can " mess" us with your head.

This video is very inspiring and I have practiced the Making my bed in the morning routine and it has worked wonders for me. It does help me start my day right. It is the reason I do it every morning. I will always be grateful to that friend that suggested it. I do not care how late, tired I am, my bed is the first thing I make in the morning; dishes before bed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgzLzbd-zT4

PackerFanInGB

77tes wrote: »

@OConnell5483 , you are the queen of this challenge. I too have had to walk away for a job that was just taking too much out of me. I think it is amazing that you were able to find something better at the same pay. I am so happy for you.

Thank you! I was really amazed at it also. I was actually prepared to take a 40% cut in pay just to move on and take back my life. So, I'm still really kind of in disbelief! Feeling like a ton of weight has been lifted but still kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop, if that makes sense!

Decluttering can mean so many things and since the first challenge feeling so good to me emotionally, I've continued to look for areas of my life to use it. It's really made a big difference in my family's life, and I really have to thank this group for it! I have a whole new approach to "things" now.

nebslp

I’ve emptied the little toy box (we have 2 of them) and it held toys for 1-5 year olds. Now that my gang is
5-9 I will give those toys to my daughter who works with young children and use the toy box to hold craft supplies that are scattered hither and yon. Remove, repurpose = more organization. Yay!

nebslp

So that was a fail. My toy box is too small for craft supplies. But at least it’s emptied out. Maybe I could use it for books.. or just give it away. Making the decision to part with meaningful but no longer useful things is the hardest part of decluttering for me.

77tes

@prgirl39mfp, I am familiar with that speech - good stuff! I agree that making your bed/cleaning kitchen before bed makes such a difference to your whole outlook! Little things like that crowd our minds with negative feelings.

@nebslp, that sounds like a great idea. As they age, kids don't want to play with "baby" toys. My daughter is really great about this. She has her daughters go through their toys regularly, and they give the discards "to the children" (donate).

I got some decluttering done again this morning. Yay! I put some books away from the table by my chair. One I donated because it was a total waste of paper; however, I doubt that Goodwill or another charity will be able to sell it. I also rounded up stray paperclips, etc. (Why don't I put paperclips away when I throw out the paper?) The results weren't as impressive as yesterday's, but my dining table is now clear of things that don't belong on it, so that is some real progress.

prgirl39mfp

@OConnell5483 So happy for you. What a great feeling.

@77tes I agree. Glad you were able to clear the table. I found an empty basket and I put it on the table so that anyone who feels the need to put papers on the table puts it there. I am making a firm commitment to declutter the basket every week, I am hoping I can commit. Now I have tons of magazines, do you know if those can be donated, recycled? I plan to continue looking for ways to de clutter and clean my house.

@nebslp I am with you. It is hard to part with things that still have some sentimental value. If we cannot find another purpose for those items, maybe someone else will. I plan to ask my neighbors to see if they want the stuff I am getting rid of before I take it to goodwill. And thanks for sharing what you are doing with toys you no longer use/ I can give all the board games I have to my kid's teachers to use in their classrooms.

nebslp

@prgirl39mfp I recycle my old magazines and have quit taking any new subscriptions. After 25 years of taking a photography magazine, I’ve decided I can find everything I want to read online. Our school used to take old magazines years ago but that may be a thing of the past now...not sure.

@77tes I like the basket idea. It would sure keep things contained. My husband gets the mail. Sometimes it ends up on the table or counter. Other times by my chair in the living room. I have just the basket in mind!