2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

Florenceem

Felt sorry for the refuse men as my waste bin was so heavy. I have already started to refill it for the collection in 2 weeks time. 
Off to SA soon.

Siebrie

@TC77 When you go through your emails, do you first sort them by Sender? I have found it much easier to discard them when I see them all by Sender. I can easily just keep the last email in a string of emails, for instance.

dND

MIA again! 😞 My head is still all over the place but I have managed to skim all the posts.

Real life is obviously very stressful for so many of us for many different reasons so thank you again Mrs SD for setting up this group and thank you also to all the participants who by posting show support for others on this forum.  The latest direction on the posts has me thinking, Yes, that’s me!  This is so good for my mental health as it’s taken me a long time to realise that I’m not alone in the overwhelming feeling of when I can’t see my way through.

@Moorviews, you describe me perfectly in your description of your feelings and mode of overcoming it.  I see so many options of what I could do with something and these days now have a great feeling of guilt if I throw something out unless it’s completely beyond repair.

@Siebrie, you beat me to it.  I have found sorting by sender to be the most useful way when tidying up my inboxes.  It’s amazing how many emails I leave because I want to remind myself of something and then they slip off the screen and are forgotten – mainly supermarket offers.  They can be deleted in one fell swoop.

It’s been so good to read the improvements in loved ones health and my love to all who need it with current and upcoming issues.

QueenJess

As I was already outside getting wet this morning (walking DS to school), I popped out the back and pulled out the plastic plant pots from the shed to go.  Whilst I was doing that I saw a big tray I don't need that I put on Buy Nothing and was allocated to someone within 15 mins   I feel grateful it is the smallest shed known to man as I can't ram too much in it, however, I do need to go through it all again, but that's for another day.  There are also more plant pots lurking around the back and in various places that will need to slowly move to the garden centre at some point.

Just tons of work to do today and some household chores, so no time for further decluttering unless anything leaps out at me as I move around the house.  I did go through a couple of drawers in my desk yesterday as it took under 5 mins during a work break.  I've gone through them already this year, but always good to check and I did find a few more things to go.  There's more empty space than things in those ones now!

Digital:
12,952-12,959 - emails deleted

Physical:
12,960-12,961 - packaging (reused)
12,962 - kids toys (Buy Nothing)
12,963 - food overstock used up
12,964-12,965 - paper (recycled)
12,966 - card with password for broken router (binned)
12,967 - mini sellotape where you can’t get the tape off (binned)
12,968-13,032 - plastic plant pots (box for garden centre)
13,033 - compost bag tray (Buy Nothing)

2Scratters

@Siebrie wow! Tetris queen in packing up the storage containers to go. I smiled at the thought of them being opened and DH having to repack it.

@gettingthrifty - Doing any amount of removing from the house is massive. Just remember as already mentioned it took an awful long time to get to this. Remember getting specific items and how they came to the house and then located in a place or two. Then the same application is to be applied about items leaving that too maybe slow. Some bits may travel out easier and quicker than others.
I flitted about from area to area with no real plan other than I knew item/s needed to go. I did areas (small I hasten to add) that were bugging me at the time as the visual was affecting me. In this process I moved items as I found them and placed like with like or straight into the bin. If I walked away from an area not having fully  finished it, it would be tidy. (I do move around a lot and not concentrating on one area) 
There are also some on here who are doing just 23 mins a day on what they choose to work on so it doesn't take up too much time. You could get a "junk drawer" that every good kitchen has and whilst watching evening TV do it in the advert breaks. 
You mentioned about having medical emergencies - has each person got their go to bag with got the basic needs packed?  Towel - wipes - brush/comb - slippers - pj's - nightie - book - phone charger etc. Remember to shop from home, for some of these bits are likely to be in store somewhere. 
Having to look for something and finding bits of stuff can be thrown as you come across them so little to no thoughts involved.

Good Luck

2 Scratters xx

Brie

@Florenceem Hurrah re MrF.  Raspberries to the alarm.

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, bt phoned yesterday and I have asked again for a post bag to be sent out as it has failed to arrive. I have meanwhile found a few more wires that can go into it when it gets here. I had a text message from the doctors to say they would phone by this evening and I have already had the call. Blood tests are to be done so I will trot off to the surgery to pick up the forms for that in a bit.
I cleared the top of the gas cupboard again. OHs post had piled up again along with 2 boxes of beer that I think are coming on holiday with us. We are going to Cornwall for a week in the middle of May so that is obviously why they are sat next to the front door  . 
I had a union thing to sort and when I had done that I checked my emails. I first looked at the most recent and dealt with them, then did a trawl of the oldest deleting or filing as needed and deleted 500. Still a few to go but I made it to 2022 . 

@gettingthrifty, I must admit sometimes I do feel fear when I look at my house. I think, a bit like you, I have stuff that I could see a use for. Previously I would take stuff into school to be used for various things but not now. I think my fear is based in 2 things. 1 it would be useful at some point and 2 there is so much I will never get it done. I am also one for not wanting to get rid of something if there is still some use for it even if I have loads of it or many duplicates etc. I am slowly getting to grips with being able to deal with letting go of things that might be useful as they are mainly things I know I can easily get again if I do need them. The rest is a work in progress . I think some of this comes from not really having much when I was young and wore things out or used them up much more quickly so no guilt about putting things in the bin. Other people have given lots of really good ideas which I want to thank them for, we can do this .
@Florenceem so glad things are looking brighter for you and Mr F, hugs

Hugs to everyone who would like one, better get weaving

629 - 633 5 x 100 emails permanently deleted
Take care everyone
633/2023

Moorviews

@dND - indeed the struggles that any one of us may have with our mental, or physical health, are experienced by many and we are not alone in them. Although, they are often isolating unfortunately. I hope that your move goes well and have been in awe at the huge clear out that you are having!

I should have put a bit more in my earlier post but ran out of time. I am much more challenging of the guilt now and am getting better at recognising what may be some remorse or regret for an error (fine and rational), or a habit of guilt for not always doing the perfect thing and grossly exaggerating the consequences in order to then give myself a hard time over it. Definitely not fine.

Also, if I value my home then I can choose what to have in it and therefore I am finding my way slowly to move things out as well as around. Not everything has my permission to be here anymore! It’s quite liberating really and I am getting more fulfilment as I go on, finding many things easier and sometimes even enjoying parts of the process. I am probably about a quarter of the way through my cupboards now, so they are forming some encouragement to deal with the nightmare ones. 

Dfw38

Thanks @Moorviews.
@gettingthrifty I love decluttering, but when I was first confronted with my mum and dad's stuff a few weeks ago (a house that is literally packed to the rafters), I instantly felt overwhelmed and burst into tears (obviously not helped by recent events). The only thing that keeps me going is to have a reason for clearing it all. For our stuff: so I spend less time cleaning/organising and more time with dcs. I want a life of adventure however big or small, not a life of looking after stuff I don't want or need anymore. I would also love it if my dcs could clear the house out in an afternoon and then move on with their lives. For my parents stuff the reason is: we need to sell the house. I am hoping to come away with a couple of things but nothing more. If I am lucky enough to have some money from the sale then I am going to use it to pay back debts (almost halved the debt in the past year by being as thrifty as possible and selling what I can), giving the dcs some money for a house deposit each (they are all little so hopefully it will grow) and the final thing is to go and see some of the world with the dcs. But clearing my parents house is going to take months, possibly a year and we will probably have to call people in to help. 
So find your reason, it will help you in the low moments which will come naturally and life has a habit of getting in the way too. If I can find it, I will post a link to an article I read that really resonated with me.
Hope you have a great time @Mrs_Salad_Dodger! 

Dfw38

Found it! Had too many bookmarks cluttering my phone ironically 😁
https://nosidebar.com/stuff-the-thief-of-time/