My house is SUCH a mess

loopyloulou_3

My house just seems such a mess at the moment I can’t seem to get anywhere with it. It really is getting me down and quite upset – I’m quite stressed about other things, work and family and its seriously getting me down to the point where I am so tired and can’t seem to do anything in the evenings (I am out of the house at work for about 13 hours a day). I honestly don’t know where to start there is SO much that needs doing it seems like an impossible task.

:-(

hazzie123

Take a look on the flylady thread,this will defo help you out and everyone on their is very kind and supportive.They WILL get you back on the right track!

loopyloulou_3

I just cant even think about where to begin, or where I will find the time to get it back to a reasonable standard. I have a house of junk and nothing seems to live anywhere properly. My cupboards are a mess - it needs a good hoover, under everything and a good clean, the windows etc.

MrsTinks

One room at a time Start with your bedroom, this is where you sleep and the tidier it is the better you will sleep and you are more likely to be refreshed and able to cope with the stresses of the world. Go in there with some black sacks and laundry bags. Anything you haven't worn for a year goes into a bag - if you can't face giving it away then put it in the loft/garage for a few months, if you haven't had to go out and open them to recover stuff then DON'T open it but drive it straight to a charity shop.
Use one bin bag as a bin (obviously) as you go round. Also arm yourself with a microfibre cloth and a tub of water with stardrops to wipe any surfaces.
My suggestion would be to take the bedding off the bed, put duvet out to air with the pillows and use the bed to fold any clean clothes you coem across and to put the bags on whilst you tidy. Throw open the windows too Once you get going you'll be fine Don't try to do more than one room unless you feel up to it!
Once the floor is clear run the hoover round it and put any clean clothes away, the bin out in the wheelie bin, the clothes in bags somewhere if you can't bear to throw them out now, and any things that DON'T live in the bedroom leave till the end and once everything else is done and then go put them where they belong - if you do it as you go chances are that if you are like me you will get sidetracked
And don't forget to put some funky tunes on... Stupid stuff like "it's raining men", and the theme tune from "pretty Woman" etc may be corny but are very uplifting

You can do it!!!

bigpaws23

Oh dear, not much feels worse than overwhelm.

Time to do lots of babysteps and to give yourself a reward for everything you achieve, no matter how small - your favourite book for 10 minutes or go and sit in the sun for a moment.

Could you work on just ONE cupboard while I go on the school run? take everything out - have three piles; bin, put back neatly in cupboard, move to another home.

Put the rubbish straight into the bin
clean the cupboard shelves and door and put the things neatly back in that are staying
move the other piles to their relevant rooms in the house (no need to put them away at the moment)

Then reward yourself.

Could you do that?
I'll check back in to see how you have done when I get back............

Good luck; you can do this one small step.......

Bigpaws x

bigpaws23

Just saw Tine's post - we must have been on at the same time.
Your ideas are great Tine.

Go Looppyloulou - we're all routing for you

Bigpaws x

Little_Miss_Saver

Hi LoopyLouLou

I really sympathise with you and hope that you can get motivated soon to make a start.

I have to agree with tine and bigpaws23 in that you must take it one step at a time and reward yourself. Set yourself a realistic and achieveable goals either each day or once a week and you'll soon start to see the results.

Good luck, You can do it!!

LMS xx

loopyloulou_3

Thanks all for your suggestions

Bigpaws hit the nail on the head – overwhelmed. That is exactly how I feel. Overwhelmed by housework, work issues, my cat being poorly still, family illnesses (my grandfather is extremely ill and it is really worrying me) I could sit here and cry thinking about it all.

Not much I can do at the moment as I am at work, but am going to start with bedroom tonight, OH is out fri nite so am going to do bathroom then and work may way round room by room armed with a long list (I am in all day Saturday) Hopefully once I get going I will wiz round and not feel so down about it all.

I’m going to make a list on my way home (I get a coach) so I have an hour to sort out a nice long list of little jobs to do and rewards for when I complete them.

wizzkid_3

I feel the same! No matter what I do, the kids go round behind me messing it all up again! They all blame each other and I don't know who it is or what to do! They are teenagers, so it's not as if it is hard for them!!!!! :mad:

I tidy somewhere, and it looks lovely and I feel sooo much better, then I leave the house and it will all be a big mess again, it is so downheartening. I have tried paying them, they just want the money with out doing the job. I have tried taking away privillages etc. Sometimes I get so mad I take the fuse out of the Tv and the cable out of the PC tower, and take them out with me.

I love going and looking at show homes, when I get the chance I go and just sit there and immagine my house being this lovely all the time. YES I WOULD LIKE TO LIVE LIKE THAT!!!!

There, rant over! Thankyou

Miss_Cinnabon

Motivation is a tough one for me as well, have started doing flylady this past week and a bit and house hasnt been so clean and sparkly:D do one bit at a time and it will get there, once house is clean, keep on top of it as it wont be so bad then.

Kyle

black-saturn

I know how you feel. If the house is untidy I feel more stressed than if it's tidy. Were in a tiny terraced house with very little storage space. When it gets like that I usually start from the back of the house and work forwards. Sort out every cupboard into 3 bags which are keep, sell and chuck. Be ruthless with it. Anything you havn't looked at for a while can go and anything you forgot you had can go. When you've done all that have a rota where you do one room per day. You should regularly sort out clutter and try not to keep things on the floor as it makes it look more untidy.