Overcoming "Stuff Processing Disorder"
For the past two years, I've been on a
decluttering mission. A mission to lighten my load, so to speak. I've
been overwhelmed by too much stuff- and not even valuable stuff. Just
stuff that comes in and doesn't get dealt with properly, and
accumulates exponentially.
I was sharing something that was a
small victory for me the other day in a decluttering group on
Facebook. I threw away a catalog that came in the mail- the same day
it arrived in my mailbox. It's a catalog of products that I use, and
really like, but I realized I can find information about all of those
products online. I don't need this catalog as a reference. I don't
have a designated place to store catalogs in my home (who does?) So I
tossed it. It was in that moment that I realized I am overcoming what
I now refer to as "stuff processing disorder."
In the group, I joked that in the past,
I would've held onto that catalog for six years. That's not much of
an exaggeration. Many times, I've thought as I've come across things
in my decluttering journey, "why do I still have this?"
I have a long history of dealing with
stuff processing disorder. When I worked on staff at my church, I
seem to remember my office being (semi) jokingly referred to as "the
black hole". Stuff would go in, but it rarely made it out (at
least not without much outside pressure). Come to think of it, my
childhood bedroom was sort of the same way. My desk at school and my
backpack were like this too. This is not a new thing for me.
You can imagine that living with this
"disorder" adds to the level of chaos in my life. I'm not a
hoarder- at least not to the point that I could appear on one of
those reality shows. But I can easily see how I could have gotten to
that point.
I've heard the expression, "big
doors swing on little hinges" and I think it's important to
recognize some of those "little hinges" or mental shifts it
has taken for me to overcome stuff processing disorder.
I'm not a reservoir
Not every single item is meant to take
up permanent residence with me and my family! Some items are meant to
be used and passed on or discarded. Baby gear is a great example.
With my fourth baby, we bought a swing second hand. We used it until
she outgrew it and was ready for the Exersaucer, and then we passed
it quickly to a relative.
Early on in my parenting journey, I
thought I was wise for hanging onto everything. "Once this child
outgrows it, I can use it for the next one," I'd say. Well, what
happens in the mean time? Do I have space for this item until the
next child is ready for it? If not, then it's time to re-evaluate.
It's helpful to view our possessions as fluid- easily received and
easily given again based on their usefulness to us at the time.
Items can be replaced
Our family might be complete with four
children, but I know that I can get another baby swing if I need it
in the future (I've been wrong about being done before- just saying).
I can get one rather inexpensively too (or even free).
Most things are easily replaceable, and
God has a way of providing- especially when we have open hands to
give to others who need something that we have. Having extra space
and order in the home is much better than hanging on to an item "just
in case."
I only have so much space
This may not be something everyone
deals with immediately, but for us, living in a small apartment, it
came to my attention rather quickly! Children seem to acquire things
at an alarming rate. With four of them in your family, that means
four birthdays per year, Christmas gifts for four, Easter goodies,
and every single kid-centric event ever (we all know that goody bags
are a "requirement" of children's events), changing out
seasonal clothing (again, twice a year times four little ones- and
even more often for the baby), and you quickly realize that your
walls are made of bricks- not elastic!
Too much stuff gets overwhelming
Not dealing with things promptly leads
to an overwhelmed, stressed out me. Other people in my home are
affected by this. One of my goals as a wife and mom is to create an
atmosphere of peace. I've learned that part of my problem is spending
too much time and effort on keeping things cleaned, put away, and
tidy. I'm not the type of person who likes to clean (gasp!) When I
learned that I need to be proactive about evaluating an item's role
in our lives, I realized that I had the power to keep things from
becoming overwhelming. It is so much more peaceful to maintain fewer
items than it is to try to maintain many items!
Have you suffered from "stuff
processing disorder"? What mental shifts have helped you
overcome this issue?
Linking Up With:
Thank Goodness it's Monday
Teaching What is Good
Hip Homeschool Moms
A Little R & R
Whole Hearted Wednesday
Hearts for Home
I Choose Joy
Linking Up With:
Thank Goodness it's Monday
Teaching What is Good
Hip Homeschool Moms
A Little R & R
Whole Hearted Wednesday
Hearts for Home
I Choose Joy
