Decluttering is stressing me right out

[mowmylawn]

I've been decluttering off and on for what seems like the better part of a year, and it all just feels like sand shifting beneath me. I clean up one area, then another, then by the time I'm on the third round I look back and somehow the first area is crap again.

And I will readily admit to doing what you aren't meant to do which is doing a little bit, then relaxing, doing a little bit more, etc. I've basically spend all of my Saturdays and Sundays going hell for leather, only stopping when the ibuprofen is calling.

Just wanting to have a whinge really, does the decluttering actually ever end (she asks... two weeks before Christmas), do we not give ourselves enough credit for what we've already accomplished, only looking at what's left. And I know I'm not spending enough time with the kids because I'm always thinking 'I'll have loads of time to spend with them once everything is in order!'. Ha ha I know, the Delusional Declutter-er.

Thanks for the moan, I needed it!

What is your perception of decluttering OP?

Monty it's probably waaaay far off from what it should be - I read an article the other day about that Swedish Death Cleaning and reckon that's probably more closely aligned to what I'm doing.

Decluttering and cleaning are very different, are you just meaning decluttering?
We struggle with clutter, we bring too many new things in. Decluttering only works if you don't bring any new stuff in. So it needs redoing at least once a quarter.

In our house I mean.

I read the unfuck your habitat book and highly recommend it. I think the problem is that you see decluttering as a thing you do, then you’re done. But, housework isn’t like that. It’s a continual project. So, rather than doing a big clean then resting a few days and it all gets messy again, try to do a little bit every day, even if it’s just 10 minutes here, 15 minutes there.

Try to not bring things into the house as well unless really needed otherwise it never ends. So like flyers, receipts, old letter etc.; all those kind of things can go straight out again. If you have a problem with clothing you can do the trick of turning all the hangers away from you and every time you wear something you turn it back, after a year (or 6 months or whatever) anything you haven't worn gets donated.

Have you read Marie Kondo's the Life Changing Magic of Tidying? I know some people hate it, but I found it really helpful. I've still got lots of areas to clear but I've found the things that I've managed to declutter using the Kondo method have stayed organised and are pretty easy to tidy up. It made me think about my possessions in a different way. It only takes a couple of hours to read, so might be worth giving it a try.

How long have you been spending full weekends decluttering for? If you are actually getting rid of things loads must have gone or are you just shuffling things around? Take photos of the stuff that is gone.

You kids wont be kids won’t be kids for very long. Remember happiness is a journey not a destination.

I've been awake for over an hour tonight thinking about all the stuff I need to declutter.

There's 2 reasons it's come up now.

1. a family member recently moved & we realised how much stuff they amassed & how much work it was to get rid.

2. now DS is almost 9 we plan to move him out of the "nursery" & into the proper 2nd bedroom. Said 2nd bedroom has quite a lot of our "stuff" in to. This has made me realise how much I need to throw out & sort through so we can make his move a reality.

I actually thought I was the sort of person who didn't hold on to stuff so why do I seem to have so much of it!?

Clutter breeds.
I have struggled for years trying to sort my house out. I just got rid of so much stuff, and bought better storage. I use the organised mum method to keep on top of it, and have told my husband and children anything left out or just dumped in the wrong spot gets thrown out.

Chucked out 20y old text books & some gift bags that had lingered for about 8y. Too run planned for later in the week. That printer in the loft can't stay!