15 Minutes: A Short Amount of Time

Today, I read this on on FlyLady's flight plan:

Today I want you to spend 15 minutes getting rid of anything that does not belong in your living room. Things that have gotten thrown in a corner, on a chair, or even the floor. If you have children get them involved. Make it a family game with the timer. If you do not have any kids set the timer for yourself! You should only declutter for 15 minutes, and when the timer goes off sit down and breathe.

Then, I thought, "What a short amount of time fifteen minutes is."  Of course, I suppose that is relative to how you feel or what that fifteen minutes might contain;  but, it really is a small segment of a day in comparison to the rest of the things you do during a day.  

When I think about the time that passes so quickly when I am immersed in a reading a book, playing a game, reading email, or writing--15 minutes seems minuscule.  It makes me wonder why it is often hard to get started earlier in the day on household tasks.  Truthfully, it does seem that getting started earlier would be better, rather than doing a dozen other things first that are not going to make my surroundings more pleasant or more efficient.  15 minutes of housework spread through the day several times Each Day would make the process of keeping things tidy a walk in the park rather than a marathon.  

15 minutes of tidying, spread throughout my day, will leave me plenty of time to do the other things I want to do, as well as the things I must do.  Furthermore, I will avoid that overwhelmed feeling that happens when one is always playing "catch up."  

Take the first step.  Decide what needs to be done first.  Set my timer.  Get moving!!!

Day 12 - February Challenge, 28 Days of Decluttering

Use a timer for this activity.  If you do not know how to use Hampers, Boxes, or Baskets for getting rid of the clutter, read my article published on September 23, 2014, I Moved Into a Smaller Home, Where do I Start?.  There is also a list of questions in this article that will help you determine what is and is not clutter.

When Overwhelmed, Start Small

Image Courtesy of [debspoons]/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I think it it is perfect that debspoons obviously
 understands the frustration often felt by spoonies.  

I am in the embarrassing place of being absolutely unsure of where to start this week.  This is so hard to admit when I am the author of a blog that is full of ways to get going.  My "goer" is not on easy access right now.  I am so tired of being fatigued, and things that were easier for me before I got sick are heavy burdens at this time.  

Sometimes, I wonder if I should tell you these kinds of truths, because I am here to encourage you;  however, I promised to be honest.  So, the truth is I have been having a hard time taking the baby steps and keeping them up.  I am a human with a chronic illness, just like the majority of people that read this blog.  Getting things done at my house can become overwhelming for me too.  

It's not that I have done nothing, because I have.  I look around me at the mess that has accumulated again  ( thought I had it nailed), and it makes me feel like I am starting over, even though I know it's not true.  What is true is that living in clutter brings down the spirits of the people in the disorderly house.  It is worse for people that are confined to their houses for long periods of time. Moreover, it is no fun coming home to a messy house. 

Right now, I am groping for a place to start.  I'm even surfing the internet for ideas.

The good news is I did shine my kitchen sink today.  And, that felt really good.  I want to replace the splash guard behind the sink too, but I feel guilty doing that when I have many other things that need doing.

The statement below comes from "Pro Organizer Tips:  What Not to Do When Decluttering Your Home."

Don't Bite Off More Than You Can Chew. "Do not set aside an ENTIRE day to organize your WHOLE house. Very few people have the energy and/or focus to spend 8 hours organizing. You'll likely become frustrated and less efficient as the day progresses. It's much better to spend a few hours -- 2 or 3 -- on one project or space. This way you'll feel motivated to do more, not burned out by the process." 

See:  not even all healthy people can do the whole house.  The following list is for me, just as much for you.

1. You need to evaluate what room you need clean first.  
2. Think PUPA (Pick up, put away). 
3. Then, use a timer for 5 to 15 minutes and do one area in your room -- like a table or the area around a chair, or clearing off a sofa. 
4. Next, rest, or go on if you want, but rest if you feel your energy lagging. 
5. Work on one area of the room, then move to the next.  

You may not be able to get everything done in one day, but you can make your mark.  You have done it before.  You can do it again.   Get out of that chair and make an effort to do at least one area in your chosen room.  You can do it.

When Christmas Is Only Six Days Away

Image Courtesy of [David Castillo]
/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Last October and November, you may have felt like getting ready for Christmas was under control. Maybe, you still do;  however, many of you may feel like life and illness are spinning out of control.  

What do you do if you know you are already getting overtired, as well as suffering from sensory overload from too many Christmas parties or too much shopping.  Here are some suggestions for getting through the holidays and still enjoying them.  Just pick and choose what will work for you in your situation. 

 A Reminder:  You all are in different stages of illness and recovery.  Many of you have overlapping illnesses, and this has a huge impact on what you are able to do.  There are some people reading this who cannot figure out why they feel good one day and horrible the next.  Furthermore, FM and CFS/ME are not the only illnesses that drain energy

Here are ten ideas to keep you more relaxed through the holidays;  even though, Christmas is only six days away. 

1. Remember to use your timer.  Do chores in increments of 5 to 15 minutes.
2. Rest frequently.
3. Remember "The Principle of Three."  Your daily to-do list of things you want to get done should consist of three things.
4. Haven't decorated yet?  Keep decorations light.
5. You haven't had the energy to send out Christmas cards.  That's OK. Send the have to's:  close relatives, best friends and your boss.  You still want to connect to more friends?  Don't forget Facebook.  You can wish them a "Merry Christmas."  online.  Send out a New Year's card or letter. It's okay to deviate from some of those man-made  traditions.  Or horrors of horrors  (Gasps are heard)  don't send out Christmas or New Year's greetings. 
6. Shift your gift-giving mindset to remembering it really is the thought that counts.  
7. If you wrap one or two gifts at a time, it is less tiring.  
8. Gift bags are the easy way to package gifts for giving.
9. Use short-cuts for food preparation.  Easy meals are a blessing this time of year.  Moreover, it is refreshing to eat simple food rather than eating too much rich food. 
10. The single most important thing is to take some time to just breathe. Meditate on the meaning of Christmas.  Enjoy doing something that rests you.  Let God refresh your soul:  He will if you ask. 

 

Merry Christmas!

Finally, God bless you:  You are never far from my mind. 

Deborah

*Snowman image courtesy of [Feelart]/FreeDigitalPhotos.net


P.S.  I apologize for not having more posts.  I am having a hard time getting used to this keyboard and having such a sensitive mouse pad.  I delete things by accident.  My letters jump into the middle of other sensitives, and all I know is it must be user error.  Eventually, I may have to get an external keyboard and mouse so I can type at my usual rate of speed.

However, I am learning to use this computer in little tiny baby steps.  Tonight, I deleted my Libraries, because they did not work.  I kept getting this message it was safe to delete them.  I did.  Then, I restored them to default libraries.  It was so easy.  However, for days I have not known what to do, and I could not load my pictures for the blog.  So, like one of my grandsons says, I did it!  Yea! 

It's Not Pretty

This morning, I got up to this.  Oh my!  It is not appealing to see this at all.  However, it did not just happen. It is an accumulation borne out of pre-vacation studying and after vacation dumping.  

Before vacation, I put all my energy into the absolute necessary, basics and getting things ready to go.  Normally, taking care of the clutter would be a basic, but I had to choose and I knew it would not go away.  Obviously, since it is still here today and growing.

My job today is to work on the pile, to take care of one  hot spot at a time.  Each hot spot is getting 5 minutes.  Some of this will go back to the bookcase.  There is some mail there too.  Maybe, some of that will go in the trash.  Just to be clear:  this table is one of my hot spots.  It is a place that becomes a magnet for my clutter. 

OK.  I have the basics of my cleaning for today planned.  Now, I will get something to eat. 

Bless This Mess

Jen Reynold's of Fibrotv.com wrote an  article with very practical tips and with the interview she did with me.  Hope you enjoy it.  It's called:

Bless This Mess! How To Make Cleaning Less Exhausting With Chronic Illness. (Interview with Deborah Bolton from Chronic Fatigue And Creative Decluttering Facebook Page).

Persistence in Cleaning --an example of success!

One little candle in the darkness

 A light in the darkness, could that mean a glimmer of hope?  Or is it merely, the cute rabbit some friends gave me with a battery candle that flickers?  Yea!  It is the rabbit, which is shaped so much like a turtle, I had to see it to remember what it was.  But the point is I can see it now on my table that has taken me a month to get shipshape amidst illness and other jobs that need to be done in a house.

Rabbit and Birthday Box in the Light

So now I present the unveiling of the Clean Table, my work table and my dining room table when we have more than four people eating.  It is old; and it is special to me, because it belonged to my grandmother.  I am thinking of painting it, but I haven't yet.  I think the legs would be hard to paint, and my body would not like the contortions it would take to do it.

Here it is, my table with my box that can hide notebooks,
craft paper or whatever needs moving when it becomes
a dining table.  The big box is part of my birthday.
I love the brightness of it in this paneled room

   

 Would you believe it took me almost two months to get to this point?    And I'm not done, because I have a sideboard to finish.  And I did not pile everything on the sideboard.  I have been systematically working on this from five to fifteen minutes a day, minus a few days for sick leave.  I have been organizing craft supplies, throwing away trash, filing direction booklets and other filables, and giving away clutter that is usable.  I have less than I started with, which makes me very happy.  Also, I have found items that made cleaning feel like Christmas.  Today, I am closer to my goal than yesterday.  

You can do this too.  It has just been proven what can be done using a few minutes out of your day.  It may take longer than you want, but it feels so good to know you are not hiding papers and other paraphernalia in your closet, just to make it look like you have a clutter-free house or room.

Those bags and boxes that are hidden in the closet only seem to attract more clutter, which adds up to a pile that seems insurmountable, so one ignores it, because that is easier than dealing with it.  It becomes a habit to clean up quickly, until one cannot do it anymore and there is not anyplace left to hide the clutter.

Moving did it for me, even though I  was slowly working it before.  Even though I was decluttering before, it wasn't enough after moving into a small house.  I know the decisions about what to keep and not to keep are going to get harder, but I am determined to do this one step at a time.

A Panic Attack Over Cleaning

Yep!  The title is true:  I had a panic attack over cleaning today.

Image Courtesy of [lamnee]/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

All I did was go to a popular cleaning site, and it started.  I knew I couldn't do all the things on there, and I
was pretty sure most of my readers would say, "You are expecting unrealistic things out of me if you think I can handle this.  Then I jumped over to a couple of blogs on cleaning and decluttering, but those seemed geared to healthy people.  After that I went to a book seller's site and looked at some of the cleaning books on there.  The panic attack went from small little vibes to heart pounding in the chest.

Stop!  Off the computer!

With my heart pounding, I walked into one of my messy rooms, set my timer for 10 minutes and started working.  Feeling pretty good about that, I set it for 10 more minutes:  then, I took my shower and had to hunt for clean summer pajamas.  So now, I have a no-brainer job for tomorrow:  do some laundry.

Image Courtesy of [Tongdang]/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Why do we put off laundry?  Well, maybe you don't, and sometimes I do keep it up.  However, I let this get away from me.  We have two people here making laundry, and I have two hampers full.  That does not count the accumulating towels.

The plan for this week is to start catching up laundry.  I suggest doing no more than you will fold and put away, unless someone is going to be out of clothes to wear to work.  Laundry can be caught up doing one load a day.  The important thing is to get started.

That is only the beginning.  For more come to my facebook page, Chronic Fatigue and Creative Decluttering.

Decluttering With A Timer

Image:  Balancing Act by D. Bolton

Hi Everyone!  I was just picking up clothes to hang up or put in the dirty clothes in my master bedroom.  I was in the closet, and I realized I was holding my breath.   Also, I began to feel shaky.  This made me think other people may start to breathe faster or hold their breaths when working with at timer.  Either one is not a great idea if you have a problem with chronic fatigue.

Decluttering with a Timer

• This is not a race!  The timer is being used, so you know when to stop.
• A timer is a tool to encourage you to work in an amount of time that will not wear you out psychologically or physically.  The timer is your friend, not your competitor.
• Breathe.  I began taking slow deep breaths in my closet when I realized what was hPpening.
• If you give out before the timer does ( I am talking about legs shaking, body says sit), Stop.  The clutter won't run away, and you can come back to it later.
• Work in increments of 5 to 15 minutes.  I have found I can start with 5 minutes or less after a flare-up (relapse), and that gives my muscles a chance to grow stronger.  If I jump into things too quickly, I end up too tired to do anything and discouraged.  As I grow stronger, I can add more minutes.
• Sometimes, you can go to a less physical activity after doing something  that requires a lot of effort, but listen to your body.  You should take breaks.
• The rules here are not ironclad, but they are a guide to help you pace yourself.  Sometimes, I am able to go past 15 minutes, but I often pay for that by being more fatigued the next day.