Declutter

WHY WE CLUTTER? Before we discuss decluttering, let's step back and ask ourselves why we are cluttering?  There is usually something that has you stressed or depressed.  The loss of a job or a loved one can really change how you feel about everything.  The first step in decluttering is to deal with those emotions.  Talk with a friend, family, and/or counselor, and work through those feelings.

MOTIVATION!  The next step in decluttering is to find something that motivates you to dig through that pile of junk. Sorry, your wonderful things!  For me, I have a picture of what the area will look like after I remove the items and get a chance to decorate.  Decorating is my motivation.  I can shop and make the area pretty!  Maybe you have lost something and know it is in the pile. Or maybe set a deadline and throw a party to motivate yourself.  If this step is hard, then spend some more time working on your feelings.

DIG IN!  Okay, you can do it.  We will begin with baby steps.  Today spend 5 minutes on the pile. As you pick up an item it should go into one of these categories:  HOME (where in the home should it be? Hang the coat in the closet!), GIVE AWAY (start a donation bag to Goodwill or some site-put in your vehicle before your change your mind or forget), or TRASH (you can do it, think of your motivation).  Do the 5 minutes each day, and hopefully we will see some progress by next Thursday.

 I remember years ago, my grandmother and her sister getting the family together to clean my great-grandmother's house one Saturday.  It was pretty horrible.  I look back and realize that she was a mother and wife, and the loss of her husband must have caused her great pain.  I am sure aging was a factor too, and the issue possibly was an early stage of Alzheimer that we didn't know about yet.

We will spend a few weeks talking about decluttering, then we will get to the fun part which is decorating!  Keep the faith, my brother, my sister...hold on.

(I am looking forward to offering an all-purpose house cleaning soap bar soon!  You can find our products here.)