Hoarding - A New Start

Molly41

Brighton_belle wrote: »

Molly - well done too - quite a few of us on here know 1st hand how ill health can impact on dealing with stuff and finding that extra bit of energy can be tough and conversly be extra frustrating when the heart is willing but the body just not u to it.

Hello x
Yes Im very disabled now and it has had a huge impact. Still I must do things when I can......

Today:
Finished ALL the shredding - three bin bags now sitting in the garage awaiting the recycling bin next week

DD took a huge bag of obsolete medicines to the chemist for them to dispose of, 6 bags to the charity shop and posted my Amaz0n parcels - I made £40:T:T:T

I gathered together both my dog's medicines and potions and put them all together with the tick remover and muzzle in a doggy first aid kit. I wont be rummaging around in the cupboard at a crucial time

I threw away a pig letter holder that had old letters that I have never touched in years. Most of the letters went in the shredder but a few old florist cards went into my memory box

Then I flopped:(

Tomorrow:

Ike@ delivery of three beds and mattresses for my kids. I still have three living at home and their respective ages are 20,18 and 16. They are all still sleeping in their childhood beds and as they are all tall (DS2 is 6 foot 3) it was time to replace them and buy them more appropriate bedding. So I bit the bullet and ordered them after much umming and ahhhing with the kids. So the kids will be decluttering their bedrooms !

I will sort out the drawers in the sideboard. I dont have to do the actual cupboards as i gave them a good tidy just before Christmas. Well I went in to get something and most of the contents just fell out:eek:

I would like to start sorting my clothes out.

Cleaner coming so that always motivates me.

Hope you all had a good day and keeping warm and safe x

Goldiegirl

I can certainly imagine how ill health can impact on keeping the house clear.

I'm very lucky in that I have good health, but after I've been rummaging around deep in cupboards or shifting stuff around in the loft, my back aches like mad, and it can be very physical.

I think the main thing is to do what we can when we can.

Must admit I had a day off today, my back is still a bit painful from yesterday's efforts.

Probably won't do much tomorrow either, as we are going to see Les Mis. I can't wait !

decogecko

Hi all

After posting about my perceived very small success in my room of despair, I went in there last night for something and with fresh eyes saw what an horrendous tip it still is!! :eek::eek::o

After job app and self assessment are done, I WILL get it cleared.

Byatt - Polo is gorgeous, wishing you many happy years together

Deco x

whitewing

GQ, I was only thinking this morning about how much easier it is to do jobs because of the dehoarding achieved so far meaning that we have space to move around, space to dump stuff in temporarily and space to put new stuff while we move out old stuff. We really don't have to do three other jobs to do the one job we want.

We are mid-jobs at the moment. Have had the offer of 3 new pieces of furniture to replace 3 mismatched manky old things. This is great because it gives a fresh oomph to some decluttering jobs that were out of sight and may not have got done otherwise. We have got rid of two of the old mismatched stuff to a grateful home, and got the two items in. Have room to dust them over. However.... this was a bit of a spur of the moment thing as we are carless for the rest of the week. So everyone is feeling hard done by as there's still a fair bit to do before we can eat and flop down. (I'm not helping by sneaking onto the laptop). But we definitely would not have had room before Jojo's original space to get this job done in an evening - it would have had to be planned.

GreyQueen

I'm blessed in that I have the use of all my limbs, and me bits'n'bobs mostly work and that I don't suffer with chronic pain. But I do have ME, which severely limits the amount of energy I can apply to anything, whether work, socialising, housework, decluttering etc.

On a good day, I can do up to 2 hours of physical labour, not 2 hours on the trot, but 2 hours with breaks. After that, muscles get overloaded and shaky, I go pale and incoherant.

Which is somewhat alarming if I'm with anyone else, but even if I'm on my own, when the old brain fog descends, I become less able to make reasoned decisions about anything, much less which stuff to declutter, so then it's time to move on.

However, any of the healthiest people could be struck down with a sudden illness or break a limb which would impact on their ability to function on a day-to-day basis, never mind get an dejunking done. And we're all a wee bit older than we were yesterday, and it's a rare human bean who gets fitter and stronger as they age.

I think the trick is to baby-step it at all times, even if you're feeling physically low or emotionally wrung-out, there is probably a tiny little project you could manage.

Maybe turn out your purse or wallet for obsolete receipts, check you have stamps in the right value, did that prize draw ticket win? A shopping list from 2009 or a voucher which had to be used 2 months ago can easily be released.

These things aren't heavy but not having to search through them when looking for your bank notes or your debit card could make your next shopping trip easier.

Yesterday, after posting about the 10 books-to-be-read-and-rehomed, I actually picked one up and before I knew where I was, it was 10.40 pm and it was halfway done! I shall check to see if it has resale value (actually it's about £10 and kid brother is online bookseller so shall give to him).

Now only have 9 to read before Easter..........:rotfl:

In various aspects of my life, I come across people who badly want to downsize, who really cannot afford the size of home they have, but express the impossibility of moving due to the amount of stuff they have. It's so sad to see people stymied from living the life they want to live because of the hold objects have over their lives.

I really hope not to be a hoarder, with the example of how it has dominated my family home before me, I'm hypersensitive to it. I have possessions I value as useful but I hope that I'd always be able to walk away from them and towards something more important.

I recall a cartoon in one of Don Aslett's books. It was a drawing of a lovely shaggy dog with a child, shown as if looking up at you, and the caption was Don't love anything that can't love you back.

I think you could do worse than follow that advice.

JayneC

blossomhill wrote: »

spare curtains/linings out of season - In a box under my bed
cat & dog paraphenalia -no particular place :oLeads I usually keep hung up by the door
vases when not in use -in a kitchen cupboard - I have got rid of quite a lot
hair stylers - in my underwear drawer
I also do have more gift wrap downstairs and have a collection of gift bags, but they do get re-used -honest!

"

Brighton_belle wrote: »

With the calender, that's a brilliant principle of before you buy something, ask 'where it is going to go' and if there is no place for it, don't buy it:T.

I need to remember this and not visualise it in my fantasy home:o

Sorted through my odd sock bag and paired up what I could. Got rid of the socks that I know have been partnerless for a long time, but couldn't quite get rid of all the odd socks , some I know have partners somewhere and others I haven't quite given up hope Yet!! Also flung 5 odd gloves too??! Where do they go? - we must have borrowers;)

Started sorting my knitting wool but a big tangled ball got the better of me so I gave up:o I will get back to it though.

Then it's just the clothes to sort and my room is totally decluttered:)

I want to make a blind for the window to try and make it a bit warmer, so I will do that before I move onto the next room. This is one of my downfalls - flitting around and not actually finishing a job!

Congrats on your fishes Jojo.

I'm having problems with my cat - she's started pooping in the living room Have banished her to the kitchen for now...This is not good

GreyQueen

JayneC, my parents rehomed two rescue cats, sisters, several years ago. After several weeks, one of them started messing on the hall carpet.

Now, my parents have kept cats for decades, and grew up with homes with cats, but this was a new one.

They phoned the cat sanctuary for advice and the person there suggested that they try putting the cat's food bowl there. Cats don't foul where they eat and that this should be enough to break the habit.

They tried this and it was immediately effective and the cat didn't move on to fouling elsewhere, even when the food bowl was moved back into it's regular position.

Cats who normally do their business outside can sometimes end up being intimidated by another cat outside and end up so nervous that they barely want to be out, esp when attending to a call of nature.

Anyway, HTH.

Patchwork_Quilt

Just popped in to thank you for all your posts.

lostinrates

Absolutely no energy for anything let alone dericharding today.

whitewing

lostinrates wrote: »

Absolutely no energy for anything let alone dericharding today.

It is at times like that that I have had some of my best ideas.