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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Help me organise my life

11 replies

elm26 · 29/10/2023 20:32

Hi everyone

I currently feel like I'm drowning! I am so disorganised and have a nearly 6 month old so it's time to get it together.

What things help you? Take the mental load off a little bit? Make life smoother?

Currently get a HelloFresh order every Monday for 5 days worth, food/food shopping isn't an issue.

For example, I have 13,000 photos on my phone and 1096 unread emails, how should I tackle this? Are there any apps that can help?

I find myself cleaning my home every single day, I become obsessed with it being tidy and feel claustrophobic if I think it's messy. Is there any way I can teach myself to relax and leave it for a couple of days? (obviously I'll clean toilet and kitchen sides every day).

Paperwork for car, insurance documents etc are not organised at all.

So many other things and I just feel really anxious and overwhelmed right now, any advice or tips?

OP posts:
WiIIow · 30/10/2023 00:19

31,000 photos on my phone, 73 unread text messages, 95,121 unread emails. I have ADHD.

Just try and tackle things bit by bit, 1 thing at a time.

MMBaranova · 30/10/2023 00:50

Different things work for different people. Starting at one corner and working across until everything is sorted out can work if you have time and the resolve, but so can setting aside time to regularly reduce a mountain to a molehill. You know what has and hasn't worked for you in the past. However, your current circumstances are something you have not experienced before so the old ways might not be applicable.

>For example, I have 13,000 photos on my phone and 1096 unread emails, how should I tackle this? Are there any apps that can help?

The images can wait. Consider ensuring they are backed up if you think they are important. Emails though - are they mostly things you are subscribed to, or are there important things in there?

Make a folder called Important2023 or similar. Work back through the last 7 days of emails. Delete them or answer them. Unsubscribe if you need to before deleting. If ONE thing (probably) is important, move it to the folder.

Every day deal with any new emails. This might be deleting and unsubscribing. Work back through another week.

And so on, until you reach a don't care about this long ago state and just leave the backlog there until enough time has passed that you can just delete it all. You might need an ImportantBefore2023 folder.

If you are not into folders, you just star/flag the rare important email and periodically cull them.

>I find myself cleaning my home every single day, I become obsessed with it being tidy and feel claustrophobic if I think it's messy. Is there any way I can teach myself to relax and leave it for a couple of days? (obviously I'll clean toilet and kitchen sides every day).

It's good of you to do the weekly clean every day. You don't need to. It can be done weekly.

That doesn't mean that there aren't things that need to be cleaned daily, as you identify. There's also the 15 minute tidy you can do at a set time every day that stops clutter building up.

>Paperwork for car, insurance documents etc are not organised at all.

Assemble paperclips, or similar, and a box, recycling bin and a sack. Work backwards through the pile(s) making stacks that you clip together and keep for now, recycle, or put in the sack for confidential disposal/shredding because it is sensitive. Keep going. It doesn't take long. You can organise the clipped documents in whatever way makes sense in the box. As any other paperwork arrives it goes with the correct clip in the box or speedily to shred/recycle.

As I said, different things work for different people. If you are anxious, start with something that gives visible results.

Edit: tidied a couple of words.

Rummikub · 30/10/2023 01:17

Do t worry about emails. I have 1876 unread emails. Everyone and again if I’m bored I’ll pick a category like John Lewis or clarks emails and delete them all. Unsubscribe from mailing lists too.

Photos I need help with too so watching for good ideas.

Sane with paper work.

What overwhelms you the most? Start there? Or get some easy wins - I find this motivates me.

theduchessofspork · 30/10/2023 01:18

I think you should talk to your Gp about anxiety as a starting point. CBT can be helpful.

Hyli · 30/10/2023 02:44

With emails first mark them all as read. Then order them by 'sent from' so they're alphabetical. Then batch delete all the ones from retailers, promotions etc, and unsubscribe at same time as you go. It won't take long

bluejelly · 30/10/2023 02:50

I have 80,000 emails in my inbox and I'm fine about that. It's not the thing, it's your relationship to the thing that's important. I would suggest meditation (ie the headspace app) and maybe counselling too.

elm26 · 30/10/2023 19:29

Some great tips here, thanks everyone.

OP posts:
Keroppi · 30/10/2023 19:47

Get one of those fold out file things and shove all personal info in there, things you actually need. Birth certificates, passports, (for me especially as I always forget them and reset: a list of passwords to stuff) NI numbers, certificates. Bit of masking tape with whats in the file scribbled on

Another file for bank letters, documents etc and put in everything from last 2-5 years anything older is usually irrelevant
Personally I shove them all in and don't bother sorting through too detailed other than a quick glance of date and contents and chuck. If unsure, I keep. On a first go my main priority is getting it off the sides/box and into a file. Label file with whats in there

Car stuff - buy something that can house your log book. A box maybe. Or a... file lol. Label. And now all thpse files should live together on a shelf or in a box together as a box of Important Stuff
Periodically when you feel bored you can go back through it and micro organise even more - sort by type, years etc

Emails aren't real to me so I ignore them and don't stress. Photos get backed up onto my laptop, I don't sort, just literally dump all my photos folder into a folder on the laptop or external hd 🤭 I don't send over my screenshot folder etc so in theory it should mostly be pictures I've took

Follow the organised mum method or flylady or create your own cleaning rota so you do your "dailies" i.e. essential cleaning tasks and then have a clean fridge day (once a week before ur ocado comes in eg), clean cupboards monthly, clean bins etc deep cleaning schedule

Schedule in some self care in the evenings, do your nails, watch a new show etc decompress

Keroppi · 30/10/2023 19:49

When you want a little dopamine rush organise your drawers and cupboards and fold things neatly like Marie Kondo, get little drawer inserts... 😍

happytobee · 30/10/2023 19:49

There’s an amazing photo sorting app called Slidebox (completely free & hardly any adds) it works like tinder & you can make albums, I’ve deleted 7000 pointless photos using it!

pjparty · 30/10/2023 19:53

I would give yourself a break and take things off your to do list entirely- no need to clean the toilet every single day. Enjoy spending time cuddling or playing with your baby instead

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