feeling liberated, wanted to share

**janelane** · 05-14-2008, 06:12 PM

This winter I went through a spate of depression and the house suffered for it. Things were in piles, dust everywhere. On top of that DH and I are pack rats. Now, and the reason I'm here at the forum, too, is to help declutter our life in general, our house, our lives, our minds.

The last several weeks I've been more of myself, and I've kicked it into high gear spring cleaning the house. Everything is clean and shiny, back in place, labelled and organized and filed away.

But I also went through and just tried to decimate my stuff. I need more room, I was feeling suffocated with *things*. I have a huge emotional attachment to stuff after losing everything in a fire. And I don't know what is was really, it's as if I finally just walked out of a cloud, looked around and just said "why?"

Why am taking up space with a pair of shoes I bought eight years ago that have never been worn? Why am I hanging on to all this stuff that I think is ugly and will never use just because they remind me of people I have the power to think of, even speak to, at will? Why do I need have to keep two waffle irons just because they were gifts?

Piles and piles of things I pulled out for the yard sale, and tons of things to recycle, or throw away (why we had so many empty boxes I have no idea.) I'm a big organization freak to begin with, so it wasn't that hard really, once I just let go. Things lived in a certain space before, but now there's more space, comfortable space.

And I feel like I can BREATHE!

So, I dunno, just wanted to say anyone considering just buckling down and decluttering homes to help declutter their lives, do it. You'll feel so much better!

**luv-my-lexi** · 05-14-2008, 06:54 PM

Oh gosh that is GREAT!!! I really need to get my butt in gear and de-clutter. It seems like when I get started though I get interrupted so much that I end up giving up.

I am glad you are feeling much better and got it done.

All you here at the village are my inspiration and I will eventually get around to getting my de-cluttering done.......

**Dancing Lotus** · 05-14-2008, 07:05 PM

Good for you, I wish my MIL would get her head out of the clouds. I can see that her environment is killing her.

Keep going and don't stop until the job is done.

**dianne9106** · 05-14-2008, 07:12 PM

I am soooo glad you are feeling better! YAY for you!! Summer is on it's way and it's always great to feel good!

**Frugal Nurse** · 05-14-2008, 08:39 PM

There is something carthartic about decluttering... wouldn't you say?

Take pics... show us what you're doing. That's even better!

**Cricket1** · 05-15-2008, 09:48 AM

I love getting rid of stuff! I'm glad you are feeling like yourself again!

**tbs727** · 05-15-2008, 10:11 AM

It sounds like you are really on the right track! I know what you mean about seasonal depression, I deal with it too, and some days it's all I can do to get out of bed. Don't be hard on yourself about that. Anyway, I would love to see pics of your new tidy house as well. It's amazing what you can see in pictures that you don't see as you stand there and look at it.

Also, I no longer tell myself we need more space. If I do that, I'm just going to keep spending more money on a bigger space to keep crap I don't use. lol. When I'm tempted to say, I need more space, I actually tell myself, it's time to get rid of stuff. It's amazing how much I can live without.

**ktsmama** · 05-15-2008, 10:31 AM

Originally Posted by janelane

But I also went through and just tried to decimate my stuff. I need more room, I was feeling suffocated with *things*. I have a huge emotional attachment to stuff after losing everything in a fire. And I don't know what is was really, it's as if I finally just walked out of a cloud, looked around and just said "why?"

So, I dunno, just wanted to say anyone considering just buckling down and decluttering homes to help declutter their lives, do it. You'll feel so much better!

I couldn't agree with you more!! The light has just now started coming on for me. I have such an emotional attachment to "stuff", that it really is sad.

I think that lots of people (myself in the front of the line) would feel so much better just to purge our life of all the physical clutter. I believe that the physical clutter is just a outward showing of emotional clutter.