My poor family. They don’t know what’s hit them.
Actually – my poor family nothin’. It’s all their fault and they should have seen it coming. They are the ones who leave their junk all over the house. They are the ones who don’t see the mess. They are the ones whose stuff is covering every surface of every room in this entire, enormous house. It is all them.
Except for the surfaces that I call “my desk” and “my dresser” and “my kitchen corner full of stuff I need to sift through.” But just whatever.
That’s probably why I haven’t harped much until now. I wasn’t keeping my spaces uncluttered either. I had excuses and they were real. I’d be happy to tell you all about them so that you can feel very sorry for me.
Long story short – what happened is that after a very full winter full of running and people and events – I looked up one day and saw my house. It made me SO MAD. And there sat my kids – watching Netflix. How dare they?
I snapped. I started throwing things off the ironing board (not because I was going to actually use it to iron clothing – get real). I raised my voice about all that needed to be done and started spewing out orders and making lists. I made my eleven year old tear up a bit.
It was my finest moment and I’d be happy to share parenting advice with you anytime.
Blech.
That was about the time Matt took me on a 42-hour getaway. I might have needed it just a little bit. Though it didn’t help the physical clutter go away, it did help my emotional state. I came home with a clear head, ready to energetically clear out my house.
Look out boys. Mom feels better. But she is also ready to throw out everything but your bed and shoes so if you want to keep any of your stuff – PUT IT WHERE IT BELONGS.
I haven’t taken any pictures of our recent declutter efforts,
but since the clutter-declutter thing happens regularly enough around here,
I had some old pictures to share.
Slowly but surely, we’ve been mucking out. This is bringing more refreshment than I expected and I’m sharing it with you just in case you might have a mild case of that from which I was suffering. The clutter was causing me stress, and I didn’t even realize it. As we’ve freed up space, cleared off surfaces, and boxed up unneeded items – my physical self is winding down too. Walking into a room that is actually clean? Ah, it is a breath of fresh air.
Cleaning out clutter is part of my April Health Challenge.
It might seem silly that cleaning out clutter is a big part of my personal health challenge this month. What does throwing away trash and organizing books have to do with good health? Shouldn’t we be focused on eating right and getting fresh air? Sure – if that’s where your focus needs to be.
As for me? I can’t breathe when the clutter gets out of control. Seeing it leaves me discouraged and tense. Clearing space around my house and getting rid of unnecessary items truly is beneficial to my health, and it’s one of my biggest needs right now.
Do you need to get rid of clutter?
Might I suggest that you do this before you reach a breaking point? Choose a room. Look around. Ask yourself:
Is this item blessing our family?
If it isn’t – get rid of it. Don’t think about it too hard – otherwise you might come up with a reason to keep a broken CD “because you might be able to use it in a craft project some day.” Chuck it, friend. I’ll break a CD for you another time if in fact you end up needing one.
If the item is usable but you aren’t using it – don’t think twice. Box it up to give away or sell. Perhaps it will bless someone else.
Take joy in the fact that your home will be filled only with items you need and use. Enjoy the freedom that comes from a uncluttered space.
Be happy for me. My desk is clear and the ironing board is empty. Now I can use it to iron clothing. (Yeah right.)
mrs.p says
When my hubby and I moved into our house 17 years ago. I thought wow I have lots of room. Now I have too much stuff. My plan for April is declutter. Our town has clean up on May 21st and memorial weekend my friend and I are having yard sale. Plus I need to finish painting my daughter room.
Alison says
I am a purger by nature, so I take great joy in decluttering when I make the time for it… the trick I use is “would I pay to move this?” Having just gone through a move 1.5 years ago, it is very fresh the amount of work to box up, haul to a car, haul from a car and unpack stuff. If it isn’t worth that (or paying someone), it doesn’t need to be in my house.
I love your note about the CD – I have friends that can’t get rid of things because they “might” use them one day. But they are drowning in “stuff”.
Cassie says
Love this! We have 6 kids so clutter is constant unless I stay on top of it. At least 1 time a week I grab a bag and just toss the junk.
Donna says
Two quotes I have come across recently that I have taken to heart in the process of decluttering:
“If it doesn’t nourish your soul get rid of it.”. ~Rachel Jones at Nourishing Minimalism
” Does it spark joy?”. ~ Marie Kondo in The Magic Art Of Tidying Up
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. Matthew 6:19 – 21
Clutter is a stressor and messes with our mental and emotional health. It also distracts us from what God calls us to do. We have chosen to cut way back on our garden this year so we can focus on de-owning many possessions. Too much time has been spent taking care of stuff…..time that would have been better spent pouring into people.
Sarah says
I totally relate and cannot function at all when the house is too far gone. Love the CD comment. Having grown up with two parents that kept everything, it is still a challenge for me to not feel guilty upon getting rid of stuff. I feel so much better and energized when I do. Amazing how it takes weeks to clean it up but it seems like it only takes the blink of an eye for the “explosion” to happen.
Marcella says
We’ve been working at decluttering for a while. At first, it was difficult. But the more we have gotten rid of things and organized, the easier it is. Now, we just look at something and if we aren’t using it/don’t need it, it’s gone! This has made it much easier to organize the things that we do use.
cheryl says
decluttering
Brooke says
I have some decluttering to do also. Thank you for the encouragement and for this fun challenge. Excited to participate.
L. Holcomb says
Thank you for the encouragement! I have struggled with this for years. I am finally seeing some results at this point in our lives but I need constant motivation to keep it going and make it a habit instead of something I put off and put off until it’s to overwhelming to even start. God Bless!!
Amy S says
It is declutter time at our house too. I plan on taking it room by room and trying to get back on track. I love Spring and starting new, decluttering and freshening up the house, yard, etc. Good stuff!
Kim says
Oh boy, does this one resonate with me… all the way down to the snapping. The 42 hours away sounds great for a start. I may have to try that! We started cleaning by the Mt. Vernon Method about 8 years ago and we do it once every year or year and a half. It is amazing the difference it makes. It comes from Sandra Felton. I highly recommend reading even just one of her books. Completely changed my life along the lines of cleaning and organization! http://messies.com/index.php/mt-vernon-method I agree with you that it is better for our health. The stress-relief on our last day of Mt. Vernon is absolutely amazing. I actually look forward to Day One of the cleaning as much as my kids look forward to vacation. It is MY vacation and it is wonderful!!
K Ann Guinn says
So, SO true that clutter steals our peace and joy! I’m learning to get rid of more, despite my natural bent towards sentimentally feeling like I should keep TOO MANY THINGS! Or sometimes I struggle with worry that I won’t have what I need if I part with something.
God help us!
I also want to teach better habits to my kids (really a teen and a young adult now), so that they don’t have to learn the hard way. So we are learning better habits and creating better, doable systems to slowly but surely take back our space. :)