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!!!

My problem is that when I start I will spend hours on it. So I dont start anything cos I know it will be 3 hours of activity. And I dont have 3 hours to spare.

But how much time does it take you to battle your way through the mess to get anything else done?

Join us on the clutter thread. I am also drowning under stuff and started a month or so ago and just being sure to get rid of one thing a day means that some days you get rid of a lot more. Link here...
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/4053749-Getting-rid-of-one-item-a-day-thread-number-14-where-we-extract-precious-autumn-leaves-rocks-and-twigs-from-our-children?msgid=102185507

I hear you! In exactly the same boat here and with a toddler I honestly think that anything I attempt to do creates a bigger problem. I get it started and he is pulling stuff out behind me so I stop what I’m doing and have two lots of chaos to deal with (what I have abandoned and what he’s created in the meantime!) I find it so mentally difficult. Things would be easier if there was less stuff, but how do you sort the stuff to achieve that with no time or energy?! So difficult and it does make me sad that I’m spending such special time feeling stressed and overwhelmed.

I have taken some clothes to a clothing back today so that’s a little progress I suppose. No real advice, just to say you’re not the only one finding it impossible!

I stare at piles of crap everywhere and just can't face spending my precious child free time on drudgery.

I feel you OP on a spiritual level

I started decluttering a month ago & have nearly completed it. I started very small: my utensils drawer. I gave away a bunch of stuff I didn’t use. Then I did my pantry. Then started on my wardrobe. This weekend we finally finished with the cellar. I found once I got going, I was encouraged to keep going, and my husband also joined in as he realised how much better the house looks and feels.

I’ve had a properly shit year with infertility & losses so I was feeling pretty low at the outset. It sounds hugely wanky but I found it useful to set myself an intention for why I wanted stuff out of my house. I had to get over the “sunk cost fallacy” as the money is spent & you’re never getting it back whether you sell it for a fraction of what you paid, bin it or give it away.

I hated the idea of sending useable things to landfill so I used an app called Olio to give away lots of stuff. People seemed to literally take anything - half used bottles of cleaning products, leftover DIY bits etc & it was very easy. I reckon I’ve saved at least a couple of wheelie bins worth of stuff. I sold a few bits on Facebook Marketplace by pricing them very reasonably for a quick sale.

We’re now moving onto deep cleaning everything and it’s made it much easier now there’s not crap piled in corners and jam packed cupboards.

Hugs. I know how hard it is to get going when you’re feeling low. Honestly, just start with your utensils drawer and see how you feel after that

I used to be were you are, and still am sometimes. The best advice I can give is to start with small manageable chunks that can be completed in under 30 minutes.

It sounds like you are in a visous cycle where the clutter gets you down, but the depression caused by the clutter blocks you from doing anything about it.

I go with a ' bring the mess forward' philosophy, starting with the least used corners and cupboards. Chances are the stuff in there is the low-hanging-fruit for a purge. As you move into the more 'used' areas you have clear spaces to put your stuff away.

But start small, and use the feeling of accomplishment to spur you onto the next project.

OP I feel the same way!! worst is that in my current situation I can't do much about it

Making a list helps but I find that things need to be organised in a way to help me. Things that are used more frequently need to be very easy to reach and put away. VERY!! Cleaning supplies need to work for me. I hate corded vaccum so thinking about vaccuming with it already annoys me.

My underwear is dumped in boxes instead of folded in neat rows. The kids clothes get only folded in half in sleeves tucked in instead of proper fold )they're too small!). For paperwork we have a filing cabinet.

I feel like this too. I have about 8 big jobs - organising wardrobes, sorting clutter drawers, room full of miscellaneous items. I might write a list tonight and start tomorrow. House will be lovely for christmas. But the thoughts of it

Thought of this thread when I saw this. Relatable. :o