What about those of us already retired that suffer from this?????
Clutter and Chaos
- Thread starter JackieOnLine
- Start date
you too? it's an epidemic!
@JackieOnLine I retired Feb 1st. I have done nothing to get started. I was using the cold weather as an excuse. Now, I'll say it's too hot.
do you think you need help? I mean, what is the situation, are you surrounded by piles? walking through a narrow aisle in-tween piles?
I've seen photos of some pretty bad situations.
I would be embarrassed if my plumbing broke down and the landlord had to come in, but nobody would be in danger, you know? from stuff falling on them!
this is because I have moved a few times in the last few years, and each time I ended up down sizing. otherwise, who knows how bad it might have gotten.
I've seen photos of some pretty bad situations.
I would be embarrassed if my plumbing broke down and the landlord had to come in, but nobody would be in danger, you know? from stuff falling on them!
this is because I have moved a few times in the last few years, and each time I ended up down sizing. otherwise, who knows how bad it might have gotten.
It's bad, yet could be worse. We've had repair people in; I didn't care, but I'm sure my husband was embarrassed. So I'm sure I need help. I haven't seen my therapist for a few years and he's no longer in practice. Sheesh, I hate starting over with a new person. I'll give myself a deadline and if I haven't started by then, I'll go back into therapy. Just the "threat" of therapy may be the kick in the ass I need.
Elizabeth N.
Herder of cats
whatever works, that's what I say! how long were you in therapy the first time?
absolutely does!LOL! I guess that makes my deans list grades a bigger accomplishment, eh?
Munchkin
Full of Fairy Dust
My mom had a real problem with throwing anything away. Because she might need it some day or find some use for it. Going through all her things after she died has been a big push for me to get better about tossing stuff. I found a ton of clothes that still had tags because she saved everything for 'good'. She had tons of clothes and dressed like a homeless person around the house. I see some of those tendencies in myself and it scares me!
She served her clutter. And it should have been the other way around! Every space had to be filled with, well, crap. I still remember my set of depression glass dishes breaking because she had to save just one more margarine container. Of course those darn margarine containers were fine(plastic) but my beautiful dishes were all broken.
And the more crap there is to throw away, the harder it becomes to motivate yourself to do it. So you do nothing and the problem just gets worse... Seriously this was the story of my mom's life. We all know what to do...
She served her clutter. And it should have been the other way around! Every space had to be filled with, well, crap. I still remember my set of depression glass dishes breaking because she had to save just one more margarine container. Of course those darn margarine containers were fine(plastic) but my beautiful dishes were all broken.
And the more crap there is to throw away, the harder it becomes to motivate yourself to do it. So you do nothing and the problem just gets worse... Seriously this was the story of my mom's life. We all know what to do...
now I'm complaining that procrastination and disorder costs me money in R&R.
I am also avoiding getting things done by posting on the internet.
I am also avoiding getting things done by posting on the internet.
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kirstabelle
Well-Known Member
Guilty. I live surrounded by clutter and I much prefer when I occasionally manage to get things straightened out. However what drives me absolutely crazy is other people's mess!!!
I have a VERY good friend who lives in a house that makes me CRINGE to visit...But with a dh working full time, she has two grown daughters living at home (one just graduated college and can't find work, the other is in trade school and while she did find a job, it's as a waitress not in her field of study) AND she has a 2 1/2 year old grandson (youngest daughter) that she is raising since mom is in trade school. Oh and 4 cats and 7 dogs.Guilty. I live surrounded by clutter and I much prefer when I occasionally manage to get things straightened out. However what drives me absolutely crazy is other people's mess!!!
There is virtually no place to move in that house without running into something or stepping on things. And it's a SMALL house...about 1200 sq ft. It was bad enough pre- grandson...his stuff is all over.
I love her to death but I have to focus on her and not the clutter or I would be crazy.
And right now, I am currently surrounded by boxes again...we got all my daddy's books, etc over here this week...it made it as far as the side of the living room. We desperately need shelving downstairs...we barely had enough for us...now adding all the stuff we are storing from daddy that will be sorted out to all of us.
Terri
Well-Known Member
I know my parents and grandparents cluttering and "saving" things came a lot from living during the depression. People had so little and what you had you kept. Absolutely nothing was thrown out. If you could not use it today you may be able to next week. Once this practice started it was continued. Nowadays it is definitely easier and sometimes less expensive to replace things rather than repair. However, so many of us have been taught the save everything, throw nothing away that it is hard to break the habit.
TRYING to declutter. REALLY TRYING. But I think - maybe - perhaps - trying doesn't count if you don't actually START.
My parents said the first polysyllabic word I uttered was "procrastination" - because I was practicing the art by the age of 2, and heard it often.
I actually - just before I sat down to procrastinate by going online - put all the paper crap that was in multiple piles in my bedroom into a plastic bin, in order to take it into the other room to organize. Or, probably, to just get it out of the way so the cleaning lady can get to the dust, and it will go back, unsorted, but at least in a bin instead of on all flat surfaces in the bedroom.
You do NOT want to know what my office looks like.
My parents said the first polysyllabic word I uttered was "procrastination" - because I was practicing the art by the age of 2, and heard it often.
I actually - just before I sat down to procrastinate by going online - put all the paper crap that was in multiple piles in my bedroom into a plastic bin, in order to take it into the other room to organize. Or, probably, to just get it out of the way so the cleaning lady can get to the dust, and it will go back, unsorted, but at least in a bin instead of on all flat surfaces in the bedroom.
You do NOT want to know what my office looks like.
