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Post by ClutterGone on Jun 25, 2008 5:06:21 GMT -5
I had been doing really well for a while. Every day I was doing 15 minutes of cleaning. I wasn't seeing a *lot* of progress, but some. Then the depression started getting bad again, and I stopped.
So, here I am, trying to start up again, and just so totally grossed out by the thought of what I might find. sigh. But I'm doing -- a little every day.
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Post by crazycatlady on Jun 26, 2008 9:26:45 GMT -5
You can do it! If 15 minutes is too much, do 5 minutes in the morning and 5 in the afternoon.
And read the thread about ETE....if you ETE (Eliminate The Evidence) as you go along, the mess won't get worse. So if you have a bowl of cereal, you put away the milk and cereal, and wash out the bowl and spoon. If you brush your teeth, you put away the toothbrush and toothpaste. It may seem simple, but these were the things I wasn't doing that contributed so much to my home looking like a trash pit.
My whole family still needs to improve on the ETE, but we are learning!
Let us know how you are doing. It makes it so much easier to throw a load of laundry in the washer if you know someone will cheer you on! 
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Post by merrymaid on Jun 26, 2008 9:35:21 GMT -5
Welcome Back, ClutterGone. I agree with the C/Kat Ladies You can do it. Try chat or listzilla. Do 5 minutes at a time or even 1 minute. When I had lots of trash, I'd set the timer for 1 minute and rush about trying to pick up the trash (works great to get kids to pick up trash, too.) Doing the ETE, is new to me (again, I did try it before.) It does work though, and saves your feet. I keep forgetting, but the more I do it, the better the house looks. I Hugs M. |
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Post by MsHavisham on Jun 26, 2008 22:18:36 GMT -5
Hi ClutterGone. I bet you were making more progress in 15 minutes a day than you realized! And you will again. I've been trying something recently that may help you too. I don't feel comfortable doing Listzilla, so I have started keeping a mini-cleaning diary. I jot down whatever I did to improve the situation - whether that was cleaning or something else. Example: "Fri 6/20 - emptied fridge, dumped down disposal, rinsed jars; put in servicemaster quote request to find someone to haul big items to dump, scrap dealer" I didn't get around to washing the fridge trays until the 23rd, but I couldn't have done that if it still had junk in it, right? And the quote request was just filling out an online form - but still an important step. If I'm not having a good day, I write that too and why: Mon 6/23 - BAD DAY - Heavy bleeding, faint & sick, went to work anyway. Picked up coolers, withdrew $100 for haulers. Started scrubbing fridge but couldn't do bottom tray. Made floor dirtier. Gave up at 8:33. Reading that I realize that I pushed myself too hard. It's ok that I threw in the towel on cleaning. When I feel like I'm not making progress, I look back over the course of a week or two, and see how far I've come. |
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Post by suchamess on Jun 27, 2008 1:32:16 GMT -5
Good luck I was making great progress and some things have come up, and I'm only maintaining a few rooms. I so very badly need to tackle 2 bedrooms that are at a 3..I hope to find the energy (and time) to begin soon. Isn't it funny how thinking about it, you are so energetic to get it done, but when it comes time to start, you tire out? gah |
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Post by BDG on Jun 27, 2008 6:36:03 GMT -5
Cluttergone have you addressed the issue of the depression? I go off my meds whenever I feel better for a long period of time and can sometimes go for a year without having depression, but then it starts creeping back in.
I just had to go back on an anti-depressant yesterday, I asked the dr. to put me on wellbutrin because it is supposed to help with weight loss and that is another issue I am currently struggling with. Read up on any med you think they might offer, from what I understand from most people is to stay away from effexor if you can.
The way I clean is to do it as I go back and forth through the house, I carry dishes to the sink when I go to make my coffee as the water heats I empty or fill the dishwasher, you would be surprised at what you can accomplish in two minutes. As I go to the bathroom through the day I spend a couple of extra minutes wiping down the sink or tossing the garbage in the garbage can or cleaning the commode. Since the washer and dryer are near the bathroom I often fill the washer or dryer and start it as I walk by.
While it may not seem like you can accomplish much this way, think of 3 minutes spent organizing or doing something to improve your life every time you get up anyway and if you just do something say 20 times a day for three minutes, it adds up to an hour of work you barely noticed.
Also you don't have to finish the job, just start it and leave the cleaning stuff right there and start another three minutes the next time you go into that room, eventually it will get finished.
To make this happen I keep a small bottle that you buy that has the cleaner and the paper towels inside and you just pull them off and close the container, this way I always have what I need to wipe down the commode or the sink plus you can toss them in the garbage. It seems wasteful but I have not went through the first container yet and I purchased it months ago.
Anyway you might want to try and build the habit of doing things as you are up moving around the house anyway. I have arthritis in my knees, a bad back problem and I am struggling with other health issues as well and this is the only way I can clean, as once I sit down I am not going to get up just to clean.
But if I have to ache and move anyway to go to the bathroom or to get food or for whatever reason I find myself up and about then I might as well make those two or three minutes count for something extra, so I clean, this helped me clean up the house and it helped me maintain even though I am struggling with health issues.
Good Luck, I hope you feel better soon.
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