Does clutter and extra jobs HURT to think about?

[grannyinapram]

I have loads and loads of horrible jobs to do, diy, decluttering and then more obvious like windows, washing, sorting through the children's clothes and getting rid of the small ones.
but when I think about all of the jobs that are not necessary to keep the house running (basically anything other than washing up) I get a bad headache and just can't be bothered. feel overwhelmed. don't know where to start.

Can anyone share any tips with me to sort the house out before Christmas? I can't even be bothered to trim the tree because its just another job thats at the bottom of a long list.

I feel this way every single November. I want a perfect Christmas but the jobs accumulate throughout the year and there is too much!!!

This might sound trite but just do it. Like seriously, make a list right now and get on with it, straight away. No more just thinking about it.

You'll feel better for it.

ugh thats not the kind of advice I want, isn't there a special chant that I can repeat and poof its all done?
seriously though, I will start.

give me a room to start with?

I bet you waste hours each day on here/social media/scrolling through your phone.

Get off your phone/laptop right now, and go and do one drawer of children's clothes. It'll take you less than 15 minutes.

I’m exactly the same. The way I cope is by setting a timer: 30 minutes of hate and anguish. Then go and make a cup of tea and regroup.

It doesn’t matter if the job isn’t finished (or even anywhere near) after 30mins - it’s still 30 minutes done that you wouldn’t even have before.

Sorry, I know it's annoying but it's the only way.

I'd start with the 'out of sight' areas first. So any cupboards / drawers that really need sorted.

Come back here when you’ve done your time. We’ll see you on the other side!

I find lists help. I also have to visualise how great it will feel and look when it's finished. It's like creating a reward at the end.

IME feeling like this can be a symptom of having too much on your plate and/or being tired and/or depressed.

Xmas isn’t necessarily fun, eg if it just means shitloads more domestic work and mental load.

Would ditch the pressure to make it ‘perfect’ - whatever that means!

When you get to it, de-cluttering / having less stuff can be liberating though!

I know how you feel OP. I was determined to be more organised before Christmas this year and I am but not as much as I'd hoped for. Today I've put the tree up, because I don't want to break myself "getting everything sorted" before doing it. So the front room has had a bit of an extra tidy yesterday, and I've decorated it today. I will do a proper job of the front room when the decs cone down.

Making a list DOES help, but really break it down. Instead of "declutter kitchen cupboards" put declutter top right cupboards, bottom right, under sink, etc. You can do 1 cupboard in 10 minutes instead of needing half a day to tackle the while kitchen.

Same with kids clothes, just do a drawer at a time, I often find I crack on with it more once I'm started.

Whenever you leave a room, pick up something that shouldn't be there and take it to where it should be.

I'm the same and need to set a timer as well for 15/30 mins to get crap jobs done.

My other bad habit is having to start at the nearest quarter/ half hour. So right now, I could be getting up and hanging the washing out. But I've mentally told myself I'll do it at 15:00, so I'm actually wasting 10 minutes when I could be getting on with it.

When feeling overwhelmed I focus on the essentials: laundry, food, sleep etc. If have time/energy left I try to choose something I think will reduce daily hassles or make a difference more than the other things.

I do feel the same. Put on some tunes and do just one drawer/shelf/cupboard/surface for 30 minutes. Come back and tell us what you accomplished! Go go go!

I get overwhelmed too. Just don’t think about it, put some music on and do half an hour.
If you do this daily then that’s 3.5 hrs a week and you’ll have got loads done.

With the garden I start with the bit that I canNOT see from the dining room window. If i started with the bit that I can see I would be able to fool myself that the rest looks lovely when it def does not.

But just pick a small bit of work and do it and then sit and watch something on youtube or whatever. Do just a bit every day and soon it will be easier and all be lovely.

fyi - I'm saying this to myself as well as you - #tipsRus

I was just thinking how I feel like that atm. I barely have the energy to achieve the basics, the house is a craphole. Doesn't help that DS woke twelve times last night.

I did used to put a couple on when the kids were younger and in bed and just have a blast singing and dancing and cleaning, ab lasted approx 40 mins and I would do the kitchen and living room in that time.
now that they are older and I have more of them (so baby toddler and bigger children) i just can't stay on top of it
toddler destroys the lower half of the house, big kids fill the sides daily with toys and mess and bits and I don't know what or how.
they get out a hundred separate cups for water which all need washing.
wardrobe changes en masse
toddler is a sweeper and just empties lower drawers and bookshelves.

constantly stopping for bumped heads.
and having to be fight stopper and sorter.

I know these are my best years and our lovely years as a young family but it drags and I am on my phone moaning about it and googling other parents moaning about it too.

off to tidy the shoes in the hallway (for the tenth time today!!!!!!)

@OrangeGinLemonFanta
glad I'm not the only one having one of these days.
it seems like the children's younger years are full of chores

when did I buy all this stuff?!

its a grannyinapram sales event! Every unnecessary price of crap must go!

Just pick A room / area - yesterday I just opened my bedroom drawers and pulled everything out onto the bed to start sorting - I pretty much couldn’t go to bed that night if I didn’t sort as my bed was covered in clothes 😂 so got it done!!

This morning pulled the contents of the wardrobe out and have just finished.

Tomorrow Eve I’m doing shoes and bedding!!

Mines not that bad though as I tend to now stay on top of decluttering pretty regularly!

Like others have said you just need to start unfortunately

I’m going to go against the grain. If you truly feel overwhelmed, sit down and have a cup of tea.

Tomorrow I’m getting all the toys in the house dumping them on the living room floor and am sorting through them. Out grown to friends or charity. Broken binned. And everything else sorted through packed away and tidied up. Some will go to dparents.

Then I’m cracking on with my other list of jobs. Setting a timer.

Start with something manageable. Leave the washing up, because you will do that anyway, as you will do the housework type chores.

Start on something like the younger/youngest child's clothes. Get all their clothes and sort them into those that will fit and those that are too small. Bag up the too small ones, and put the others away.

I've just had a half hour cry. I wanted to get the xmas decs out but I seem to have so much else to do that I just don't know where to start - can't see the wood for the trees.
I was going to post a thread myself but just thought, what's the point, I know what I need to do but I just haven't just the will to do it.
Today is a bad day. Tomorrow when DS is at school I will give myself a good talking to and just do it, with the radio blasting away to block the negative thoughts.

I understand, I frequently feel overwhelmed like this. Trying just a few minutes sometimes helps. I need a significant amount of time and energy to tackle what’s built up but between the various health issues DH and the DCs’ SN related stuff (one is also home educated) I feel like I’m barely treading water! So I just end up in a daze instead. Helpful. 🤣

DH has a day off tomorrow and the eldest will be at school so I suppose I will have more time tomorrow to get things done.
its frustrating with baby because as soon as I get into it I hear a cry and I have to stop.
bloody can't wait for all the clutter that comes with Christmas