Going cabin crazy yet? It's a real thing here in snowy, northern Wisconsin where I live. Every winter I read in the newspaper about some guy going cabin crazy and hacking up his wife and sticking her in the freezer or some such horror. No lie.
I always wonder what living in their house was like?
I imagine there was a lot of clutter.
It's touted that living in clutter can be disturbing, but will it lead you to kill someone? Probably not, but for some of us it does have serious psychological ramifications. This article in
by Sherrie Bourg Carter, Psy.D says it best.
"
Messy homes and work spaces leave us feeling anxious, helpless, and overwhelmed."
I don't know about you, but I'd rather feel
calm, empowered and joyful
as I go about my day.
So what can be done? Once a week, hold a
Discarding Day
.
Pick a day, put it on your calendar
repeating for the entire year.
When that day arrives, pick one type of item from the following list to discard and go to it.
At the end of the year, you'll have discarded 52 types of items in your home and it will only have taken you minutes each week.
It goes fast. Promise.
The Discarding Day List*
Phonebooks
Old condiment packets
Old maps
Old fire extinguishers
Manuals to items you no longer own
Bags you no longer use (tote bags, plastic grocery bags, purses etc.)
Old hair accessories
Old dish sponge
Broken flashlights
Expired canned food
Old pillows
Newspapers, magazines and books never read
Old sunscreen
Broken umbrellas
Puzzles with missing pieces
Scarves never worn
Junk mail
Gifts you don't like
Suitcases you no longer use
Your toothbrush (buy new)
Expired coupons
Old greenting, holday and birthday cards
Old pots and pans
Clothes you've never worn
Broken jewelry
Old bed linens
Dead batteries (dispose of properly)
Candle holders
Recipe books never used
Worn out shoes
Mismatched plastic containers
Ink-less markers
Gifts/letters your ex gave you
Trial sized cosmetics/hotel samples
Games you never play
Wire or dry cleaning hangers
Old electronic cords/accessories
Old children's artwork
Old undergarments
Broken glasses/sunglasses
Broken items you'll never fix
Old phones/phone cases/phone accessories
Outgrown baby/kid clothes
Unused wedding gifts
Old schoolwork papers
Perfume/colonge you don't like
Broken crayons
Scraps of wrapping paper/ribbons/bows
Expired make-up
Old spices
Unmatched and holey socks
Torn towels
*This list was adapted from
Now that's what I call, PROGRESS.
Quick, start today! Choose peace, calmness and joy.
I don't want to read about you in the newspaper.
Is anyone's clutter making you crazy?
What's the first thing you'll discard from the list?