Destress by Removing Crap from Your Life
Recently I started looking around the house realizing that there was a lot of stuff that just wasn't needed. Most importantly there was a ton of stuff in my office which had turned it into a storage room vs a workable office.
In reality I work at the kitchen table most days as there is lots of sunlight, plenty of space to spread out, and allows me to stay in the middle of everything going on in the house while still working. Multitasking isn't really an issue for me so listening to the kids talk in the background doesn't bother me and I have a better idea of what is going on in their lives this way.
But still there is no reason to have an entire room sitting there cluttered with so much stuff that you can't walk into it without stepping over a box. This room looked like it belonged on an episode of hoarders....ok it wasn't really that bad but close enough it was stressful.
Getting my head around purging my office was a process as psychologically and emotionally I was attached to my stuff. But in reality so much of it was things I hadn't even thought to use, look at, and more definitely hadn't needed in years. So this said I wondered why all this stuff mattered to me and then I remembered the old sale trick of let them hold it and they will take ownership of it. Then take it away from them and their brain will literally insist on getting it back. Why are we hard wired like this...who cares, but knowing we are made me understand why I had held onto everything.
I could have just gone in and organized all this clutter. Put a bunch into bins and stored it away in the closet. But the reality is this wouldn't have helped as the clutter would still be there.
We collect stuff for a wide range of reasons, those things you think you'll need one day, or that book you swear you'll get around to reading, or maybe clothes that you really hope to fit into again, or or or. Really what clutter you have or why it accumulated isn't important, but what is important is the psychological impact all this clutter has on you.
Whether it be your closet or office desk, excess things in your surroundings can have a negative impact on your ability to focus and process information. That’s exactly what neuroscientists at Princeton University found when they looked at people’s task performance in an organized versus disorganized environment. The results of the study showed that physical clutter in your surroundings competes for your attention, resulting in decreased performance and increased stress. Source:LifeHacker.com
Sitting in front of TV bopping around the internet as I normally do while the Wife insists on watching the news at night I ran into an article that reinforced what I had been thinking. My Clutter was actually causing me stress and hurting my productivity.
So the last 4 straight days I have been dealing with the emotional stress of filling trash bags full of crap. Because honestly once I looked closer at what I was holding onto I realized it wasn't really important, it was just crap. None of these items were required for me to live day to day and none of them put food on the table or kept a roof over my families head, so it was deemed Crap.
My Wife thinks this is a little over the top, but my Desk is even up for sale and sitting in the garage right now. Instead a folding table was moved into my office which removed drawers to fill with clutter. This table will be used multiple times during the year when we have people for outdoor dining so it needs to stay clear of all clutter going forward.
So what of all the crap? Some went to donation, some went to be recycled, some to the trash, and some was inventory that I forget was sitting there and was like found money. But in the end it's all either dealt with or ready for inventory processing.
In the end I tackled the worst room in our house and now my office is a usable space again that is stress free when I walk into it. Feeling accomplished right now!
So what can you declutter in your life to reduce some stress? I challenge you not only to think about it, but commit to decluttering some part of your life and then post your results. No SBD rewards for this challenge, just the benefits of less stress and the feeling of accomplishment.
Image Source: Pixabay
Love it...i took my decluttering to the ultimate point and sold everything i own, including my home and now own 60kilos of stuff in 3 boxes in thailand nepal and uk...having virtually nothing has been one of the most liberating things i have ever done. The stuff we accumulate, our possessions are like anchors that keep tied to a place or life and this endledd comsumpution drains our money which could be used for more empowering things such as travel experiences education investments etc...
Hi @beestrong, so nice to meet you...I think we might be kindred spirits! My husband @briancourteau and I did the same...but we ended up in Mexico (from Canada). Our last day in Canada, I asked Brian to come for a car ride, then we got to a lady's house and I told him he'd need a screwdriver to take the plates off because we were there to sell the car ;) We walked back to our hotel for our last night, and headed out the next day. We have never looked back!
I will have a look at your Intro post and leave you some comments about a couple of great groups here that help out new folks, if you're interested!
Thanks for the shout-out @thedarkhorse! I bet you've been talking with your wife now about all this ;)
Hey @lynncoyle1
I reckon so.....
I was lucky i didnt have any else to persuade. Just me myself and i. Admittedly my sons were surprised and shocked but i do it inspire them.
I bet you both had a "journey" to get to that point where you realised you were done!!
@thedarkhorse sell that shit!! Stuff is such an anchor. Admittedly i dont know what your dreams or goals are and i didnt for years. But if it is to travel and get away, stop buying stuff.
We are constantly told that stuff will make us happy...hmmmmmm does it?
Everytime you wanna buy something ask
Do i need it?
How many of it do i already own?
How many nights accommodation would it pay for in my dream location?
Will it make me fat? (I know but i didmt realise how much money i wasted on food that was making me fat and unhealthy)
And then if you decide not to buy it, congratulate yourself by puting the money in new account that will pay for your future dreams...believe me...it can chane your life and bring you everything ...
Oh it was and still is a journey for sure! Brian and I both write about it; some great, some not so great (he has cancer), but in the end, that's what life is all about!
So right lynne.
Life is for living and it is perfect in its imperfection. I am sure writing about the journey all aspects of it, the physical and the emotional will be of use to many people..and i hope steemit gives you the leverage to do that. All the best wishes...and being seeing you again on the steemit waves
@lynncoyle1 I figured that @beestrong and yourself might have a little in common ;) .
@beestrong stuff isn't on my list for purchases at this point in my life. Unless it's something I need like clothes I really just don't want it. The hard part is I run an inventory based business so I have a massive anchor tied to that. I have over 2000sq ft of storage for this business and am always needing to buy more to keep it going.
Actually trying to figure out if I liquidated everything how much money I'd have and could it finance a few years of "travel". If I can add a digital/online income stream on top of the lump sum selling everything would net I bet we could pull it off. Spend some time in multiple countries around the world and let my kids see the world learning about different cultures while we live in them. Think it would make for some very well rounded kids who at the end of it would hopefully understand themselves and the world much better the most people ever get too.
Wow, that is alot of stuff..
And amazing possibilities....The main calculation i did was where do i want to live, can i legally stay there and what do i want in that new life. How much are my assets worth and do those two sums reconcile and if not where can i make changes
I guess because i was always poor i realised i didn't need much so i am more than happy with little and of course i then make my money last longer. Also because i live alongside local people (rich in comparison to them) i get truly authentic experiences of life in.thailand nepal laos india to.name a few...
Hey @lynncoyle1
I reckon so.....
I was lucky i didnt have any else to persuade. Just me myself and i. Admittedly my sons were surprised and shocked but i do it inspire them.
I bet you both had a "journey" to get to that point where you realised you were done!!
@thedarkhorse sell that shit!! Stuff is such an anchor. Admittedly i dont know what your dreams or goals are and i didn't for years. But getting away does seem to be part of it, i recommend- stop buying stuff.
We are constantly told that stuff will make us happy...hmmmmmm does it?
Everytime you wanna buy something ask
Do i need it?
How many of it do i already own?
How many nights accommodation would it pay for in my dream location?
Will it make me fat? (I know but i didmt realise how much money i wasted on food that was making me fat and unhealthy)
And then if you decide not to buy it, congratulate yourself by puting the money in new account that will pay for your future dreams...believe me...it can chance your life and bring you everything ...
I read your intro post and others and gave you some votes there too. Hope that maybe @lynncoyle1 and a couple other great people who have commented here see this too and can give you a little boost. I resteemed your intro post in an attempt to give you some more exposure.
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to engage here. It's a great way to start building up your account! I'm amazed at people that can sell off everything and just pick up and move. Truly want to try and make it happen, but until I can figure out how to provide for my family while traveling around the world it's just a dream which I'm working on details to turn into a goal. Goals have dates and action plans, without those things they will never happen.
Interesting....especially considering family. Ive got 2 sons and once they left home it was clear that i had done my job and overcame many.of my limiting beliefs and it was time for me. I do think having children can make the big decision to go more difficult but there are always ways. Since i sold everything i finally had money. they both at some point asked for a loan-no problem-happy to for the first time in my life be able to give them something money related (i was always too poor and they'd gone without so much growing up) however my current financial life plan means i will probably die penniless...not so great for my sons...so i have asked them to repay their loans by taking out life insurance policies on me..so they will get something when i die. Our lives are so much more than money and I believe i have been showing my.kids through my life that buying into stuff is not the way to gain freedom. Freedom is much much simpler and cheaper than we are sold and told..
Consumerism really is a new concept that is born of corporate and governmental greed. The more we spend on crap the more profits companies make and the more governments get to collect in sales tax and corporate income taxes. Plus the goods we purchased didn't just lead to corporate profits for one company, but for many which adds even more taxes. Plus those goods all lead to jobs which means more tax paying citizens. It's all just BS.
Good call on the life insurance as there are always final expenses that need to be taken care of and these policies will make sure your kids are whole at the end of everything and maybe even collect a little money. While the money isn't important in itself there are many times that the death of a family member causes stress and that extra money might give some options like taking a little time off work to morn.
Hey there @thedarkhorse! I wondered what you have been up to :)
I have three things I want to say to you about all of this:
organisation is the key to success. At work, at home, in your psyche...all of it. My son told me the other day he was feeling a little anxious and realised that by cleaning up his apartment, it reduced the stress and anxiety immediately. I know when I was teaching, I had to keep my desk organised for all of the obvious reasons, but more for my own 'head-space'. Good for you for really tackling it and not just stuffing the 'crap' in boxes and hiding it all in the closet.
you're probably making your wife nervous because you may start doing this to all of the rooms in the house, and start touching her stuff :)
and lastly, be careful because you appear to be a spits-throw away from two back packs and a suitcase :)
See you guys soon in Mexico!!
Yeah I have taken way more time around the house and backed off Steemit for a few days. Really needed this and it!
I wouldn't dare touch my Wife's stuff. That would be very risky...lol
Might need a little more then 2 backpacks, but just removed probably an SUV worth of crap from my life. Figure I'll do that 4 or 5 times over once I start tackling the garage. Need to have a big garage sale this year and if stuff doesn't sell it's being donated or trashed.
Never been to Mexico, but it would be on my list of places to spend a few weeks or months. Would love to just spend some time in a number of places to find where I love.
Sometimes it's nice to close the laptop and walk away from this for a day or so isn't it? It can become a little too all-consuming...for me anyway ;)
Spoken like a smart husband!! Never touch your wife's stuff ;)
Ahhh yes, the dreaded garage! I remember all too well; in Vancouver where my house was, there weren't really basements like in your neck of the woods or where I grew up in Ontario. So the garage became the catch-all; mine even had a loft that I'd packed with crap too :)
And if you've never been to Mexico, put Playa del Carmen on your list. This time of year especially...for you I mean, to get out of the ugly weather, although I guess Spring is soon in the air there!
Glad you're back! Cheers :)
I also have a 800 sq ft loft above the garage. This is what needs to be cleared out. My youngest has really gotten into parkour and think the loft would be a cool place to make some mats and bars for her to practice on. At the same time want to put a hockey net up there for my oldest. Figure there has to be a way to do both.
Please send that memo about Spring to Mother Nature. Guess we have 2 more rounds of snow coming our way including potentially 2-3 inches later in the week.
Is Playa del Carmen where you live now? If so and I make it we are grabbing a beer and you can tell me the best places to visit.
The joys of teenagers :) I remember moving to Vancouver and setting up a tent in the loft for the kids and their buddies because it was simply raining all of the time!! We all hated it;)
Wish I had a direct line to Mother Nature for you! My parents, just south of Detroit, were complaining of the same thing. Spring can't come fast enough for them.
And yes, Brian and I are in Playa so if (when?) you come, it will be more than one ;)
Not sure how anyone lives where it rains all the time. That would drive me crazy. But sounds like you have gotten to bounce around Canada a bit and live in different places so that's fun. At least you knew what you liked and didn't like about all those places.
Yeah Detriot area has been getting very similar weather as us. Some winters we don't get the same storms, but this year it's been a lot that have come across us and straight out east hitting Detroit and then the East coast...they are sick of Winter this year too from people I know out there.
Good, more then 1 is how I roll. My wife will take a drink with an umbrella and the beach. Myself give me a bucket of beer and where we are doesn't really matter. She is the Yin to my Yang. We are so opposite in so many ways it's almost crazy we have been together for 21 years now.
The rain is what brought us here; last winter, I think it rained for 8 months straight...I was ready to hang myself and decided, 'that's it', we are outta here!
I just read your last bit to Brian and he laughed because we are both 'bucket of beer' kinda people :)
21 years...good for you guys. You seem to hear that less and less these days...Ying/yang, whatever works! Congratulations ;)
I would say a move was the better choice if it had gotten that bad. Can't even imagine it raining that often. I'm sick of it after 2 or 3 days.
So are you guys retired down there or did you find work? Would imagine finding work is the issue if you move to Mexico.
Chat with someone that left Canada for Panama and know that earning a real income down there is not as simple as in Canada or the US.
In May we will be 22 year since we started dating and 17 years of being married. I was smart and picked our dating anniversary as our wedding date. When I noticed it was a Sat and in the time frame we wanted it was a firm date for me. One less date to
forgetremember.Some 15 years ago I got rid of everything that I could not fit in a backpack. It took several years to complete the task but was refreshing and took me on several great adventures only because I was always ready to go anywhere. Being a Sailor I started looking at ads for crew and the first night found a boat in Florida needing a Captain which led to a full winter blowing around the Carribean.
That reminds me of a Blog or 10 I need to write. LOL
so many stories, so little time.
Cheers
I'll get there over time. Really other then a laptop and some clothes I clothes I don't need much. So many items I own revolve around the house like tools, snow blower, ext. Then the rest revolves around my businesses and I'm simplifying this a lot by narrowing my focus and moving more towards digital based business. If I can get 100% digital my life changes drastically as bills can be paid no matter where I'm calling home.
I hear you on this one, I have this old farm house I only use in the summer and even then it is only 1 room out of 10, for my daughter to sit and draw or eat. So I started filling 1 room with motorbike parts, then motorbikes, then 1 room became two and two became 4, now I am tripping over parts every time I go there My friend, I really do need a clear out indeed.
Might be time to sell a few parts that you now realistically you aren't going to have time in life to use. It can become a "problem" when you are really into something....lol.
I know bud, it is a problem, I have half filled a barn up with them also lol. The basement is getting full of brand new lego sets I will never open, I have a cupboard full of vinyl albums I will never play, I like collecting ltd edition coloured vinyl, and I have a room half full with vintage computers and consoles, where does it stop I do not know.
Oh how I would love to pick you house...lol. I buy and sell toys so the the lego sets are gold to me. Also do stuff with vintage computers and vinyl. Never been much into the bike parts, but know they are money.
This is the sort of vinyl I collect.
That is cool. I'll keep my eyes out for any like that. I tend to focus more on 1st release classic rock and rap...rap is one that most people don't realize has value and I still find them fairly cheap to flip. The vinyl really isn't my focus, but a good distraction sometimes when I need to change things up.
Yes indeed, variety is the spice of life. All the stuff I collect I tend to think of as not mine, more my daughters, like I am just the caretaker for now, she has the final say in selling it all, when I am 6 feet under so to speak :-).
That sounds like my parents. Hard part is make sure she knows what things are worth and how to market them. If she isn't taught this the stuff will end up getting sold way to cheap. I see this all the time as I'm out buying stuff. Parent collected for decades and the kid wants it all gone in a matter of months and doesn't have a clue what they are selling.
I'm with you here @thedarkhorse, My house is equally cluttered, although not quite up to an episode of Hoarders!
My problem is it's the wife's stuff and not mine. Getting her to shed it is like pulling teeth. What's real junk and what's sellable, its a big task I tell ya!
Do a little reading on the topic of clutter and the stress it causes. Then share the articles with your Wife and see if she can wrap her head around clearing out 1 room. For most they say start with the smallest project first and then move forward. I had a need to make my office clear so I went after one of the worst rooms first, but it's not suggested to go this direction. Heck even clearing out your "junk drawer" is a big mental step. I just did that too as I wanted to keep getting more done.
So true! Physical clutter in your environment competes for your attention and decreases clutter.
I go through big phases of decluttering as well. Then, suddenly, I find I'm spending more time obsessing whether to throw stuff away than I'm spending being productive. Why is it so hard to strike a balance?
If you haven't already, check out theminimalists.com, and their documentary on Netflix.
That is why I just said F it and focused on the room for 4 days. Moving a huge Hon desk with a return and file cabinet out of my office wasn't an easy task. Plus I had to make room in the garage to store it while I'm trying to sell it so actually created more work there. But yeah it's good that this is done as I really need to focus on work for a few days now and catch up.
Will have a look at that site for sure. Starting to think I want WAY less stuff in my life.
I am a big advocate of this. As Jordan Peterson says, how can you solve more complex problems in your life if you can't get your 'house in order'. I truly believe it is a microcosm of our life.
Minimalism will truly give a person peace. The only drawback is there have been countless times I've thrown something away, only to want it back for a legitimate reason. Great job cleaning everything up! The process can be a pain, but it's so worth it!
I tagged you in a challenge yesterday called love it/shove it if you're interested! In order for us to get to know each other better, we list 5 things we love, and 5 things we'd rather not have in our lives. I hope you'd like to join in!! Have a great day @thedarkhorse!
I will take a look at the challenge and give it a go. Thanks for thinking of me.
Hate when you are looking for something that you "know" you own only to realize that you gave it away or tossed it. This is a downside to moving towards more of minimalistic life.
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