Saturday 31 December 2011

C.H.A.O.S. and burn out

I have been really feeling burned out, overwhelmed and just plain awful with very low energy levels.  I am really tired of being tired and over whelmed all the time !

I have realized that part of the cause of my burnout is that in this past year I have been suffering from C.H.A.O.S. (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome) {blush}. As I poked around the net about clutter and C.H.A.O.S. I read this over at Thinking Out Loud Blog:
“clutter is more of a physical expression of our emotional condition than it is about our organizational skills.”

I must agree that this statement is true for me. I have really been struggling to keep on top of life and it feels like everything is spinning out of control. Well this week I decided to grab the world and make it stand still so I can catch up.

It feels so good to be regaining my life a little bit at a time. So far I have conquered the wash pile in the laundry (now to tackle the pile of ironing before midnight!), Sir N's room, I need to do the other rooms in the house. Well the rumpus I am avoiding till I can work out what to do about it. ...... and on the to do list this coming week is the office space.

I have decided that slow and steady needs to be my motto for this task ....

I went looking for some inspiration on the net.

Here is what I found:

Fly Lady

Fly Lady
I discovered the FlyLady about 10 years ago and I love her practical ideas which make her system achievable.  Her main philosophy is: Baby Steps.  The main item you need is a kitchen timer and you are ready to start:

I must confess I do not subscribe to the emails anymore as I find there are just too many for me to read on a daily basis.  So when ever I need inspiration I visit her website.

31 Days to Clean: Having a Martha House the Mary Way.
Back in October I shared with you in New Beginnings- about 31 Days to Clean.

Sarah Mae is the author of 31 Days to clean. She inspires and encourages you to look at having a Martha house the Mary way. Each page takes less than 5 minutes to read and each day has small things to do.

31 Days to an Organized Home

I was having a poke around Follow Me on Pinterest and saw this button which piqued my interest :


The title grabbed my interest so I went over to have a look.  What a neat way to start the new year. Kelly is your host over at The Complete Guide to Imperfect Home Making.

This is what Kelly has to say about why to become organized:

I organize my home because I believe that when we clear out the things that don't matter, we make room for the things that do. Because our hearts and minds can only take so much chaos. And life has enough chaos of it's own. Because we need a daily refuge from the clutter and the noise and the blaring messages that wait on our doorstep. Because an uncluttered space creates an environment where we can learn and explore. And because when we clear out stuff, we make room for people. What are your reasons for wanting to organize and de-clutter?

31 Days to an Organised Home

Day 2: An Organized Coat Closet
Day 3: The Three Baskets Tip
Day 4: How to Apply Contact Paper to Drawers 
Day 5: Fabulous Pantries 
Day 6: A Peek Inside My Kitchen 
Day 7: DIY Pocket Organizer
Day 8: Defining Clutter 
Day 9:  Permission to Let Go, and to Keep
Day 10: Sometimes you Just Have to Live With It
Day 11: Kids' Socks
Day 12: Kid's Clothes (The Rule of Three)
Day 13: Kids' Closet Inspiration
Day 14: Sock Drawer 101 
Day 15: Master Closet
Day 16: A Place for Everything
Day 17: Command Centers
Day 18: Create an Action File 
Day 19: DIY File Basket
Day 20: Manuals and Warranties
Day 21: DIY Magazine Files
Day 22: Electronic Odds and Ends
Day 23: Pretty Tidy Desks
Day 24: How to Make Labels using Picnik
Day 25: Bathroom Storage
Day 26: Linen Closets
Day 27: It's Linky Party Day!
Day 28: Laundry Room Organization
Day 29: Sentimental Items
Day 30: My craft Closet
Day 31: Staying Organized


I am inspired to start off my new year becoming organized and in control of my home.

How will you be starting your new year ?

Blessings

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7 comments:

  1. Collette31 December 2011 at 08:21

    These thoughts are very much on my mind today, too! CHAOS - I like that, lol! We are having company on New Years' eve and I am dragging my feet with cleaning this week.

    Love your links...I will have to come back & read, *after* the weekend!

    I, too, will be tackling the clutter this new year...starting next Monday (that's the plan, anyway!). This post was so encouraging!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Chareen31 December 2011 at 13:05

    Hi Collette

    I like the word too :)

    May your weekend be one of blessings.

    Happy new year to you and your family

    Blessings

    ReplyDelete
  3. Vicky31 December 2011 at 13:33

    I agree with what you say, Chareen. I used to feel overwhelmed by the housework and it used to affect my sense of peace. Two things made the difference for me. The first was to have a big declutter, every 3 months (I'm quite ruthless about throwing things out - most things are replaceable) and the second was to clean two rooms a day, according to a schedule.

    This works really well for us. The house is always reasonable and there's never too much to do at once.

    I hope you and your family have a lovely new year and that you feel renewed and refreshed, Chareen.
    Hugs and prayers
    Vicky

    ReplyDelete
  4. Erin31 December 2011 at 16:39

    what a list, looking forward to checking out the links.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Catherine (Alecat Music)31 December 2011 at 19:02

    I feel like we've turned this house upside down and shook it all around this week. We've decided to do more renovations, which means moving furniture where it normally doesn't go, and trying to work around it all.

    It's been frustrating, but at the same time we're making progress. I guess we just have to keep focusing on the end result. Hopefully be the end of next week we can be a little less in CHAOS mode.

    Love the links, too! I'll be checking them out again in the future. :)

    Catherine

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  6. Chareen31 December 2011 at 20:03

    Vicky I used to think my friend was crazy throwing so much out every month and constantly decluttering. I can now understand why. My mom and husband have been telling me for months I need to have a good clean out. It's only now that I realise that they are RIGHT!
    I used to have a cleaning schedule but that went out the window when I started working last year. Now I just need to reform the habit and get my children back in the habit as well.

    Erin I happened upon two of these blogs while browsing PINTERIST I find I am often inspired and encouraged with the ideas of others from here.

    Happy New year to you both and may you be blessed in 2012

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous3 January 2012 at 14:02

    Hey there,
    I am loving this post, great ideas and resources. Love fly lady, maybe I'll get back into that! You've inspired me. We cleaned our bedroom and put up shelving in the WIR for my business things. It's alreadying starting to get a little cluttered so I need to learn to maintain these things! Love the idea of having a Martha home in a Mary way! Loved the first book, so that should be great. Thanks for the encouragement.

    ReplyDelete

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