Unloading

[cjsmith]

A friend of mine is making wonderful progress on clearing STUFF out of her house. She mentioned how good it feels.

I remember how good it felt to me. I used to be able to get rid of crap, and I always felt better afterwards. It was a weight off my shoulders, a load off my mind, an uplifting of my soul. It was wonderful. I remember.

So why can't I get rid of STUFF any more? I go from one shelf or drawer to the next, and then in mild annoyance I try again in another room, but I'm not truly willing to part with anything I see.

I bet a lot of this has to do with having no paycheck for the last fifteen months. Every object in the house could conceivably - chant it with me now - "come in handy some day". If I can't deceive myself with that tired old line, the object still could be of value to SOMEone, and so it's awfully hard to throw it away. But selling it is a hassle, often more hassle than it's worth. Even finding someone who wants a thing for free is often a hassle. So I don't do anything... and I'm surrounded by STUFF.

Comments

[sunnydale47.livejournal.com]

Read the article I linked to (http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2004-02-18-hoarding-usat_x.htm) in my post about saving stuff being a packrat hoarding (http://www.livejournal.com/users/sunnydale47/353237.html). It really helped me start thinking about throwing out some things I'd been loath to get rid of because "I might need them some time!" I haven't gotten a round tuit yet, but at least I've identified some stuff I will never need at any time during the entire rest of my life -- and when I start cleaning, many things I would otherwise have kept are going to go.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

That article reminds me a lot of the book "Stop Clutter from Stealing Your Life". It, too, recognized the connections between hoarding and OCD, between hoarding and perfectionism, between hoarding and anxiety. That book is incredibly motivational, and I just fetched it out to re-read again in the hopes that it will switch me back over into the mode where I can let go.

...at least I've identified some stuff I will never need at any time during the entire rest of my life

That's a really good first step. I suppose the step of identifying things that MIGHT be useful someday but the chances aren't good enough that it's worth keeping the thing -- that's more advanced than this clear-cut case.