Summer heat! Unlike many people I love these 40 degree days. For some reason my body always functions better in the heat. I’d love to know why that is, but in the absence of any simple answers I’ll just take it as the gift it is. So this evening I’ve spent most of my time cleaning and cleaning out. I find I often do this in summer. I cleanse the house, wash anything that can be washed, air pillows and doonas in the sun, and generally do a clean out of the cupboards and rooms.
This past year has seen many changes in my life, and one of those changes has been in the way I organise my home. Due to a combination of ill health and laziness my house had got out of control and every time I looked at a room it overwhelmed me to contemplate clearing out all that needed clearing.
But last year I changed that, with a little help from a new friend of mine. My friend Cathy of Declutter with Cathy assisted me to tackle my rooms one by one and create order once again. Just having someone who I knew was there to back me up once a week meant the overwhelm was taken out of decluttering my house. And with the overwhelm gone, guess what? I ended up doing most of it myself anyway!!
I would recommend to anyone to pay that few extra dollars to get a professional declutterer in for a few weeks because it really does take the overwhelm out of the job, and the results are overwhelming in a whole new wonderful way.
I know the theory that the mind is affected by physical clutter (and physical clutter is a sign of mental clutter), but knowing and really KNOWING are two different things. The clarity of mind I have experienced since having a tidy house continues to astound me. Add to that the pride I feel in my lovely tidy house and my new habits of maintaining it, and my payment to my professional declutterer seems nothing compared with the priceless result.
The many courses I have completed at Landmark Education have a strong emphasis on integrity – “Without integrity nothing works” is the main message. It’s a confronting prospect to face, but I have never been able to find a case where it does not apply. And my decluttered house could not be a better example. I now know where things are, I don’t lose things (well, not as much!!), corridors are free of obstacles (so I have less little accidents), and the various areas of the house can be used for what they were intended to be used for (ie kitchen table for eating not filing, laundry for doing washing not as the junk room).
So tonight as I close my eyes to try to sleep in this heat, I do so with a great sense of pride and a peaceful calm in knowing I have integrity in my house. I’m getting my house in order in more ways than one :-).
Keep Smiling
Louise
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Carr says
Hello there!!! I have had CFS since 2002, or at least that’s when it was diagnosed. I am now in what I believe a relapse. It’s discouraging. I woke up with such brain fog after a nap today I almost panicked. It was awful. I read your post about 6 ways to deal with a relapse and it was helpful. Also, now I’m trying to unclutter my apartment. I really believe that with an illness like this that it is doubly important not to have to deal with so much stuff and after 25 yrs. in same apt. clutter has built up. I’m not a hoarder by no means but need the courage to let go of many things and also to not get overwhelmed. Thanks for your post about this. I’m going to get a library book, and the author acts as your coach in it. It’s called THE QUEEN OF CLEAN CONQUERS CLUTTER, by Linda Cobb. I took it out before and I’m determined to get it again, especially after reading how easy it is to get overwhelmed without someone helping you. I can’t afford to pay anyone now so I think I’ll take this book out and really do it this time!!!
admin says
Hi Carr,
Thanks so much for dropping by. I’m so glad you got some value out of the 6 Ways to Deal With A Relapse blog. Having slipped backwards considerably myself recently I’ve been using my own tools A LOT – and not always successfully. Hard to coach yourself :-).
I’m really interested to hear about your challenge with decluttering. I’ve slipped back a little, especially since the ‘relapse’, but I have a lot better systems now. And occasionally I call in my friend who is the decluttering lady and we barter for each others’ services. I think that book sounds like a great one though. I might look it up on Amazon and link it to the page. I really hope it works to help you clear out what you need to. It really does help the brain to relax when the clutter is cleared.
I really hope that what you’re experiencing at the moment is not a relapse, but if it is, remember it may not be the same as it was in the past. It’s so easy to think it’s just going to be the same AND as bad, but that’s when we go into panic mode. You’ve learned a lot since 2002 and have a lot more tools in your toolkit. You know stuff you didn’t know back then and probably have practitioners you can seek out who you didn’t know of back then. Use all your resources and you might surprise yourself. But whatever you do, don’t give in to panic. Stay in the present as much as possible. We get anxious if we look too far in the future and depressed if we go too far back in our past – that’s my experience anyway!
Thanks again for popping by and I hope you keep reading the blog. I’m working on getting them all on audio as well so people can listen to them instead of reading (while they’re in bed).
Keep your chin up, happy decluttering & hope to hear from you again soon
Louise
Shirley says
Hi Louise
So agree with you on the merits of a decluttered house. Alas right now, I am grieving for my dear mum who we buried on Monday and who I have been nursing through cancer. Stressing at the thought of having to clear out her house, I know it has to be done but right now I’m at that stage of opening the door, seeing what needs done then closing it again.
Really need a power surged energy boost to get me through but at the moment it feels like the electricity has gone down in both my body and head.
Thanks for your blogs, they really are so encouraging and I know I will get the declutter done…one day!
Shirley
Louise Bibby says
Dear Shirley,
I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your dear Mum. It must be such a terribly sad time for you, and now facing clearing out her house must feel so incredibly overwhelming. My house has got out of control a bit lately due to a mix of health and other reasons, and I feel overwhelmed every time I contemplate taming it. I can only imagine what it must be like having to face cleaning out your own mother’s house, with all its memories, while also managing grief and health challenges.
My advice would be to just give yourself a break for now. Give yourself some time to grieve, and then when you feel ready, start with baby steps. Set small, achievable goals each day, like clearing out 1 drawer or one corner. That’s what I do when my house clutter gets overwhelming. Let me know how you go – via email, on here or Twitter or Facebook.
I’m so glad you get something positive out of my blogs. That’s my intention and it’s lovely when I hear that someone’s life has been made a little better because of what I’ve written. It encourages ME to keep writing them.
Be gentle with yourself at this time of grief and transition
All my love
Louise