I found a new website where I am posting some articles on decluttering. The site is called eHow.com. There are all kinds of articles on different subjects that can help you learn how to doing something.
Please check out my article, How to Divide and Conquer Paper Clutter. I plan on adding lots of articles in the near future and will let you know when I do.
Thanks
Janice
New Article on Paper Clutter Read More »
I just became aware of a website that had a very interesting article on it called “No Company Cheese!”. It is about how we save things for company and treat the residents of the home (including ourselves) as second class citizens. Check out the article at http://planethomeandgarden.com/.
The website owner had seen how my post from last June on “Mindfulness in the Home” was about learning to enjoy our homes by paying attention to what is going on in the current moment of our lives.
I have posted a copy of the original blog post below for you to read again or read for the first time if you are new to my blog. My post and the one above can really get you thinking.
Janice
https://cutclutterwithscissors.com
http://cutoutthebreastcancer.wordpress.com
Mindfulness in the Home
Posted on June 18th, 2008 by Janice
I was thinking about mindfulness and how it can apply to home organization. So I decided to look up the meaning to see if was a good word choice. There are several definitions depending on if it is used in reference to Buddhism or psychology.
The more general meaning of mindfulness is paying attention to what is going on at the current moment of our life. In other words, paying attention on purpose in the present moment without being judgmental. Hard to say, even harder to apply.
Mindfulness is usually referring to our thoughts and learning to control them. When chaos is all around us in the form of clutter then our thoughts are not usually nonjudgmental. They are more about; who made the mess, how did it get this bad, why am I the one who always has to clean it up, how did so many things accumulate so fast, why can’t anyone let go of these things including me, etc. On and on the negative thoughts swirl around in your head.
Learning to pay attention on purpose to these thoughts can help us learn not to be so negative or judgmental. When we are aware that our surroundings are causing these negative thoughts then we have greater freedom to respond instead of react.
Many times we are on auto-pilot as we go through the day. If we do this while cleaning a bathroom or washing the dishes then it is okay because we have created good habits to take care of these necessary jobs. But if we put the mail on the counter to “deal with later”, or leave the snack dishes and games, etc. out in the family room to “deal with in the morning” then we are on auto-pilot in a bad way.
These are the times we need to practice mindfulness. We need to learn to pay attention on purpose in the present moment so we can take care of our environment.
So next time you start building or adding to a hot spot, stop and take a deep breath. Get off auto-pilot for a moment and become aware of your current thoughts. Do you dread dealing with the mail? Are you too tired to clean up the family room before bed? When you become aware of the thoughts that are causing the bad habit then you can take the steps needed to change it.
Janice
P.S. Be sure to check my website often. I will be adding articles on different topics periodically. If you have a suggestion or topic you would like to find out more about then either leave me a comment or email me at janice@cutclutterwithscissors.com.
Saving for Company Read More »
When I write my tip newsletters I write about things I have done and know that they work for me. I also write about things that I may not do all the time so I will research the subject online. Cleaning out expired first-aid supplies is one of those.
I printed out a list of supplies from the Mayo Clinic. Then I went and checked my first-aid kit. I keep my supplies in a clear plastic shoe box on a shelf in the hall closet. While checking the dates on the antibiotic cream and the anti-itch cream I found that both were expired. Yikes! I threw them out and put both on my shopping list. I will replace them this week.
I keep my prescription medicines in the kitchen pantry in another clear shoe box. I will check those meds to see if I need to dispose of any old ones. My newsletter mentioned some of the ways to properly dispose of old medicines. The Whitehouse website has more information.
If you have any other ideas on what to keep in a first-aid kit and keep it current, then please let me know in the comment section. Thanks.
Janice
Decluttering Expired First-Aid Supplies Read More »
I wrote a tip newsletter today about coupon clutter. I am posting it here so you can see the system that I use. If you have another system or suggestions please let me know in the comment section.
Do you have an envelope or drawer full of coupons for groceries, restaurants, and other merchandise? Can you find the coupon you want when you need it? Coupons can save you a lot of money but only if you use them.
Coupons will become clutter very quickly unless you have a system set up to organize them. Here is a simple system I use. I have three different colored pocket folders and a small portable coupon caddy.
1. In the first folder I keep the current week’s grocery ads and local store ads I may want to shop at that week.
2. In the second folder I keep restaurant coupons and menus for our favorite places.
3. In the third folder I keep all the other coupons for the local stores such as Macy’s, Lowes, and Bed, Bath and Beyond. These are not the weekly ads but coupons I have received in the mail with longer expiration dates.
4. I file the grocery item coupons in the coupon caddy as soon as I cut them out. I relabeled the pockets to fit my needs.
To keep the coupons and ads current I purge the old ones from the first folder (grocery ads) on a weekly basis. The other folders and the coupon caddy usually get purged of expired coupons about once a month or when they start getting too full.
The above system is easy to use and maintain. Take a few minutes to set it up and save money with those coupons instead of letting them become clutter.
Janice
Early this week I had a bad cold. I’m in the sixth week of radiation treatment for breast cancer and I’m beginning to feel the fatigue I was told would happen. Because of these two things I had a hard time focusing on writing my weekly newsletter and this blog.
Even though logic tells me the above excuses are legitimate the negative thoughts began creeping into my brain. You know the kind; thoughts about how you always procrastinate, you’ll never learn to be organized, you’re a failure. These are the kind of thoughts that make you feel down about yourself. Lose your confidence. Lose your enthusiasm. These are mental clutter!
I recognized these thoughts as such and worked at decluttering them from my brain. I talked about it in my weekly newsletter. (If you aren’t receiving my free newsletters then please sign up on the sidebar.)
Here are the four steps I use to clear out the mental clutter.
1. Recognize when mental clutter is starting to accumulate.
2. Acknowledge that these negative thoughts are only clutter and not the truth.
3. Visualize the thoughts as physical clutter and clear them out of your mind.
4. Repeat the process as often as necessary.
If you have other ways to clear out the mental clutter please post a comment. I know I would appreciate any tips you have and I’m sure my readers would also.
Janice
