Chronic Pain and Clutter

While revamping the minimalism post, I came across a blog that sort of pressed my buttons.  I stepped away from the computer and decided to do something else as I processed the WHY this blog irritated me.

The person writing the blog did not come from a place of a person with a chronic illness.  Her blog was solely aimed at those healthy enough to follow the advice.  I tend to forget there is a difference and not everyone understands what it is to live with a chronic condition.  So once I got that through my head, I sat down and re-read the blog but put a spin on some of the information.

Chronic Pain, Clutter, and Mental Health

Photo by Sasha Freeman at Unsplash

Clutter isn't always a representation of our mental health.  More often than not it is a reflection of our PHYSICAL health or inability to clean and stay on top of our cleaning due to our conditions.  For example, last fall I had a flare.  My joints and back ached so badly that the little bit of pain medication I could take did nothing to stop the pain.  Add to that the fatigue from not sleeping due to pain and it was all I could do to just get out of bed and smile most days.  The chores backed up.  Declutter kid closets and our outside shed, I think not.

Decluttering Isn't A Marathon Session

Photo by Pau Casals at Unsplash

Decluttering takes time and diligence.  We can't just choose a day and declutter every single room.  Experience has taught me that's a sure fire way to bring yourself a world of needless suffering.  You'll be in pain, tired, achey and will probably have a much larger mess to deal with.  Then your mood will follow because you feel like crap and you accomplished nothing.

If you're decluttering to achieve a state of minimalism, you need to take it slowly.  Minimalism is a lifestyle - something you'll be doing...forever.  You've been a clutter bug all this time so expect it to take some time to transition into another lifestyle with different habits.

Don't Go It Alone

For an independent person who suddenly finds themselves limited by chronic illness, it becomes imperative that you reach out.  Ask family, friends, volunteers, charity organizations for help when it comes to decluttering.  Many will be willing to come for an afternoon or two to help.  Offer pizza!

Pace Yourself

Do one room at a time.  If one room is too much, do half the room.  Little by little it will start to add up.  Try to work for ten minutes at a time.  If that is too much, do five.  You can get a good deal done in five minutes.

Use Checklists

Just about any declutterer / minimalist will agree checklists can help focus on what needs to be done.  Go into a room and write down different areas you want to tackle.  For example:

Bedroom

• Bed - Make bed hotel nice
• Nightstands - Clear off
• Dresser - Organize top
• Dresser - Purge drawers
• Closet - Purge shoes
• Closet - Purge pants

And so on!

In no time at all you'll see a major difference.

You Are Responsible For Your Stuff

Photo by The Creative Exchange at Unsplash

Stop cleaning everyone else's room.  That's right.  Your children are responsible for their own rooms.  At some point parents stopped making children be responsible for putting their things away.  Let them clean them themselves.  I worked in a daycare once.  Toddlers know how to pick something up and put it away if you show them.  Make it a game.  Sing and dance and offer a small reward when they do what they've been asked.

Elementary, middle school, and high school kids know better.  Make them be responsible.  You have enough going on without cleaning their room too.  Be old school.  They don't clean - no phone, no tv, no friends, no excuses.  It's okay for them to be mad at us.  They will live.

For more tips, check out the article by Gabrielle Savoie at MyDomaine.com.  This is perhaps the most thorough article I've read on this subject.

Above all BE GOOD TO YOURSELF  

 

Photo by Tim Goedhart at Unsplash

You're already fighting hard against yourself with your chronic illness.  Don't make battles where they don't need to be.  Take your time, focus on what's important, and do what you can. Last I checked, there weren't any competitions on orderliness.

I hope this helps.  Thank you for reading.

As always, keep moving forward!

Minimalism is HARD!

After years of being physically unable to do the type of things I used to, I felt my house was beginning to look like something from Hoarders.

After the move from Connecticut, I felt suffocated by the stuff around me.  I was so fed up of bumping into this tote or that I finally snapped.  I told everyone around me, "Don't be surprised when this place starts  looking like some Japanese house with nothing in it."

But trying to go minimalist is HARD.  There are some serious choices you have to make about what goes  and what stays.  In addition, you have to rope your children into it too.  They are not always willing to part with their things no matter how much reason or bribery exists.

I told myself I needed this.  I needed to simplify my life as much as I could. Dealing with a chronic illness is hard.  Dealing with a chronic illness, teens, tweens, and too much stuff is harder.  I want to live smarter not harder for longer.

The first thing I had to tell myself was to go slow.  It took me 20+ years to accumulate this stuff so i needed to be patient and give myself time to go through it all.  I decided to do one room at  time.  Go through every single item in that room and make a split second decision on everything.  Then go through again and fine tune.  I made myself open every single thing.  Drawers, totes, trunks, bins, bags, boxes - EVERYTHING. 

I came up with the following criteria for getting rid of things.
1-Is it broken or torn?
2-Is it outdated or unfashionable?
3-Does it fit right now or has it fit in the last year?
4-Have I used it in 6mos to a year?
5-Do I really like it?

I managed to donate  six large totes to the Veteran's Thrift store by using this method.  I never realized how much useless and outdated things we had.  I still have a ways to go but the end is in sight.  Thanks to some useful information I gathered from other Pinterest pinners  and the links below, it won't be long until the makeover is complete!

http://laurenjadelately.com/how-to-live-with-less/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/1011777-50-things-throw-out-now-and-dispose-them/?reload=1
http://www.simplyfiercely.com/struggling-with-minimalism/
https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/into-mind-3305163/30-day-minimalism-challenge-4009933387
http://www.popsugar.com/smart-living/Questions-Ask-Declutter-34352100

Have you gone or are you thinking about going minimalist?  What are your tips or tricks?