So Overwhelmed With Clutter!

[Lilith Morgaine]

My entire apartment looks like an episode of Clean House/ How Clean Is Your House.
I suffer from extreme anxiety and depression and am so overwhelmed it brings me to tears and severe panic attacks.... I AM NOT LAZY...... can you help?

Edited: Pics Added........

I took pics w/ my digital camera of my apt for you all to see...............

[Cynyr]

My entire apartment looks like an episode of Clean House/ How Clean Is Your House.
I suffer from extreme anxiety and depression and am so overwhelmed it brings me to tears and severe panic attacks.... I AM NOT LAZY...... can you help?

Well, do you actually use all the stuff you have? I have heard and learned that 80% of our productivity utilizes about 20% of our resources.

The following are my recommendations, I am not responsible for your actions.

1. Make a pile of what you haven't used in two months. Then toss it out or give it to charity or have a yard sale.
2. Organize what's left. Everything has a place. Put the stuff away in its own place.
3. In one month, repeat 1 and 2.

'snot rocket science.

The depression and panic attacks you say you have notwithstanding, the above approach works well for me.

That's all.

[Astara Seague]

AHH its to hard to throw out.. I have tons of "stuff" but at least it all has a place.. my daughter thinks my house looks like a gypsy wagon, but I love it..:cheers:

[Mother Goose]

http://www.ocfoundation.org/1005/m120a_003.htm (http://www.ocfoundation.org/1005/m120a_003.htm)

This is a link to the obsessive compulsive foundation. this particular page is about compulsive hoarding...I'd heard about this on a tv show & it was then that I realized that, I too suffer from this to certain degree. Since finding out that I do have this 'problem' I've learned to let go of somethings & I can actually allow my husband to clean things out...although I still have trouble throwing things out & cleaning up the clutter myself. I always feel compelled to keep everything....which then turns into piles of clutter.

If I were you...i'd start with one small area: your desk....your dresser...your counter top...just pick a small area that has clutter & work on that. I find the anxiety lessens when there's LESS clutter around. The more there is, the more I pile up on top of it.

The site I gave you has quite a bit of info & there is a book out about this 'disorder' too...you're not alone! :hugz:

[Yvonne Belisle]

You have been given good advice. Another way to get rid of some of it is www.freecycle.com (www.freecycle.com) If you don't want to donate it and wonder if it is sitting in a thrift shop somewhere that is the way to go. Also anything you can not put away get rid of. If you only have room for 25 books and have 30 five have to go. I try not to bring things in without getting some things out. It doesn't always work but is worth a shot. Keeping a box for donation items is good too. Anytime you are going through something and find stuff you don't use donate it. Try to spend 15 minutes a day on decluttering your home. You can clean out a drawer in five minutes. You can clean a desk in about the same. When you have mail sort it standing next to the trash and make sure the junk goes in. The trash can is your friend.

[Lilith Morgaine]

I wish I could rent my own dumpster.... seriously

[Astara Seague]

you can it costs a lot though.... come on it cant be that bad!!!

[Lilith Morgaine]

you cannot walk in my apt nor can you put anything down... there is *no* clear space

[Yvonne Belisle]

you cannot walk in my apt nor can you put anything down... there is *no* clear space


15 minutes a day pick a spot and clean and clear it. Don't put anything that doesn't belong there back in that spot once it is done. Don't give up you can do it.

[~*Ginger*~]

cut the clutter (http://organizedhome.com/content-2.html)
:hugz:

[equinox2]

Hi-

Yep, as a first step, don't feel overwhelmed, just clean up a little spot each day and it'll get better over time. Most importantly - MAINTAIN what you've done - don't allow clutter to grow back where you've exterminated it.

Of course the neatness rule must be followed: "A place for everything and everything in it's place." No exceptions. Don't leave things out - it's about the same amount of effort to just put it away in it's right place when you are done.

Also - remember that clutter is simply accumulated delayed decisions. Before putting anything down, decide which of these to do:

File - put it where it goes, now that you aren't using it. See the neatness rule.

Act - use it, pay that bill, or act on that letter, etc.

Toss - If "F" or "A" doesn't fit, then toss it. Look at your clutter - if you are like most people, most of it is simply garbage that when you go through it you throw out. That means that cluttered people have actually decided they'd rather live in garbage! Ouch.


So, those three F. A. T. that's the decision with each object.

Good luck. It can be hard, but in a few months, you'll look at your apartment with pride. :woot:

Take care-

[blithespirit]

Thank you for this thread. I am the exact same way. Plus, even when I am able to get on a rare cleaning spree, I have three little munchkins that go right behind me and make more messes. It's like shoveling snow in a blizzard, I tell ya.

[tarotgirljess]

I have heard good things about flylady if anyone is interested. you could google for her site. as far as i can tell you move from place to place never spending longer than 15 minutes in one spot. It may be worth a look if anyone is interested.

[Lilith Morgaine]

here are more pics in addition to ones I first posted

[Lilith Morgaine]

and more...

[Lilith Morgaine]

in case you haven't gotten the idea...

[Tamaska]

I know how you feel-- somedays you look around and just want to disappear because you feel so overwhelmed. What I found that helps me is to simply do ONE thing a day for only one or two rooms. For instance Monday: pick up all the dirty clothes in the bedrooms and put them in the laundry room Tuesday: get a huge trash bag and walk through a few rooms and just throw away all the garbage and recycle the other stuff Wednesday: go through the kitchen and put away clean dishes, stack dirty dishes.... and so on... I know it seems like it'll take forever to get things cleaned up, but just think of how long it took you to get that cluttered :hahugh:

[mareadams]

:wave: The gravity is denser right over my house! Even my brain has increased mass to the point where thinking and action become so heavy I am immobilized. Some of the things that realy helped me the last few months is a wonderful website, flylady.com (http://www.flylady.com/), with loads of free advice and encouragement.
Try getting several large boxes, laundry baskets, or even paper bags, and begin one room at a time. Clear out all the junk into containers so you can really clean. Don't worry about things like inside of drawers, you just want to get to the top of the desk, counter surface, etc. Remember it didn't get this way overnight, so it won't get better in just a few hours.
After you have a workable area or the whole room if it is small enough), put NOTHING away unti the object has found a home! NEW RULE! Everyhing ... EVERYTHING... in your house has to have a home, a place where it lives until you need it, or else get it out of the house! Never, ever break this rule once you have an area cleaned! I am so bad at cleaning and organization, I bought a label maker and labeled every box, drawer, cabinet, etc., with ALL items inside! WOW! _happydanc Having labels made putting-away totally mindless!
My house is still a disaster, but I no longer LIVE like this. It will take me a few months to get things running, but slowly the pies and cutter are dissappearing PERMANENTLY!
There is a snowball effect, too. I can find things faster, which means organizing and cleaning is getting easier.
I know just what you are feeliong, as I too am depressed, ADD, dis-organized, and suffering from CHAOS (Can't-Have-Anyone-Over Syndrome).
Bon Chance,Mon Ami! My thoughts are with you as I put one step in fron of the other ... sometimes literally! But it IS getting better!

[mareadams]

After you put stuff in boxes, basgs, etc, don't sort through the stuff, except if you are 100% positive it is either trash, or it gets returned. Don't worry about sorting it into recycle, reuse, giveaway, not-sure, holiday decoration, even dirty vs clean clothes! Do all that later, one box or bag at a time, as much as you can, even if it is only one box. I bought a dozen laundry baskets for 2$ each, and go througdh them one or two a week. They never empty, as I re-use them for more areas of the house I am tryiung to declutter.
If you are not sure where to start, try either the front door, kitchen sink and stove, or a bathroom. Lots of good advaice here. You CAN do this:clapping:

[Lilith Morgaine]

I know it seems like it'll take forever to get things cleaned up, but just think of how long it took you to get that cluttered :hahugh:

Actually it only took about a month.......

[Deranged Hermit]

I feel for you. I seem to be in an endless battle with clutter, too. One thing that has worked for me at times is to pretend I'm going to be moving across country in a week. I can only keep the things that I would be willing to haul or ship. It puts it in a better perspective for me, and does away with the "but what if I need this someday?" way of thinking. Good luck! :cheers:

[Faeawyn]

I'm overwhelmed just looking at those pictures :collapse:

I read that link on "hoarders" and I'm afraid to admit that I suffer from a bit of that myself. I can't stand clutter tho, so I tend to hide it in the attic or in closets or cabinets. But I hate to throw stuff out because I have this strange fear that I'll need it again some day or it might be valuable or useful and I'll end up regretting throwing it away. It makes my husband crazy. I even have tons of extra furniture lying around because I just never know if I'll need another sofa or table :lol:

[ap Dafydd]

William Morris said that we should have nothing in our homes unless it's either beautiful or useful. 'S a good maxim to follow. If you've got stuff that's neither, get rid of it.

But most of your pictures look like you just need to do some space clearance.

Start at one end and spend 15-20 minutes clearing it, put stuff away, throw rubbish away. Then stop. Look at the space you've cleared, feel virtuous, have a glass of wine. Don't try to do it all at once.

Do the same thing tomorrow.

Don't let stuff creep back on the bit you've cleared, keep it clear.

Eventually you'll have done the lot. Have an extra glass of wine at this point!

gwyn eich byd

Ffred

[Sun Sprite]

The fly lady site is great.

Actually, I am an obssessive compulsive cleaner, hoarder, and less-abled. What a combination!

I used to Spring clean in the Spring, and it would take me a week, so I couldn't help in the garden.

Then, I backed it up - I start in January and do one room per week. One wall per day, and the floor on day five, with two days off. If I cheat and do the whole room at once, it takes about three hours for all except the den and kitchen.

This way, all my cleaning will be done, and I will be ready for visitors when the Spring flowers open.

Sadly, this week was bathroom week, simple right? Yeah, I got really sick, unable to get out of bed. I may get it done today, or it may get postponed till last.

Also, as I clean, I have no problem redecorating, if it means just moving the furniture, adding wall paper to the bathroom, (you have to move everything out and scrub the walls anyway, what better time?), or ordering new sheets and blankets or the bedroom (the old go into the yardsale pile).

Best Wishes,
Sun Sprite

[Ceres]

flylady could work for you, Lilith. Her attitude of 'anything is better than nothing' and 'do it now' could chip away at that mess slowly but surely. Having a clean living space is really just a matter of doing a bit at a time, but all the time. Pick up after yourself. If you get something out, put it away even if you plan to work on it again later.

To chip away at the mess, get three plastic shopping bags. Designate one for garbage, one for giving to a second hand store and one for things that belong elsewhere in your apartment. Work for 15 minutes, focusing on one room or area then spend another 15 minutes putting the garbage in the garbage, the bag with the items to be put away elsewhere away where they belong and the bag to give away in the trunk of your car to be dropped off. Dont put off the second 15 minute session, do it right away.

Do one of these sessions every day