Today is Sunday. I actually feel depressed even though I do not have to go to work tomorrow. I have 16 weeks off this summer. Yet I constantly feel the need to get something done around the house. The basement and garage are full of junk. My small closet needs room.
HOW DO I GET IN THE MOOD?
I just read *The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing/i and found some ideas in it that helped me as I tackle the clutter in the house, which includes things that belonged to my mother, who passed away a few months ago. (As if I didn’t have enough clutter of my own to deal with!)
I’ve definitely made progress and find it easier to get rid of things that don’t “spark joy”, as she puts it.
I know I feel depressed every Sunday. I also have a day off Monday for dentist appointment but looking a head from now until Sept, I won’t get another long weekend off. Now I know why I get depressed.
MY TAX IS NOT DONE YET! I NEED HELP!
Start small, maybe with the closet. Head to Ikea or Bed, Bath & Beyond and get inexpensive flat storage containers to slide under your bed. Fill them with your winter clothes, setting aside anything you haven’t worn in the past year or longer. That will be donated. With your winter clothes out of the way, your closet is ready to be reorganized. Purging is infectious, and pretty soon you’ll be getting rid of old summer clothes you haven’t worn in a while.
Or tackle the garage/basement, starting with just one corner/area. Once you see progress being made, it will get easier and you’ll be more inspired to keep going. To make it more pleasant, put on some music you love and can sing to, music you might not listen to with witnesses around (I’m thinking… Abba? Tom Jones? Do you get my drift?) Or listen to an audio book. Reward yourself as you cross each major task off your To Do list: buy yourself some fresh flowers, get a massage/mani/pedi, or any other small luxury.
Devote a set time of the day and length of time for cleaning. Don’t make it unrealistic (too short or too long) and make a point to do something nice afterwards. It’s summer, and it should be fun, too!
Come join the decluttering gang here: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1599005-the-bag-a-week-club.html#latest
Procrastinators unite! I just finished my taxes last week.
wow–I totally misread the OP. I thought she was trying to get in the mood of NOT feeling she has to do something every day, that it’s okay to take Sunday off. Shows how my world works! 
@GMTplus7, congrats. At least you got it done. I was planning to get it done this weekend but it didn’t happen.
Ah, 16 weeks off. Oh my goodness.
My suggestion is like some of the others. Set a modest goal of what you will do that day. Get it done, then the rest of the day is yours, guilt free.
As a new empty nester, I am trying to set Sunday apart as a day of rest. Church, lunch, newspaper, nap, TV, whatever. I am trying to get my errands and other things done on Saturdays. I’ve had little success so far, but it’s a goal.
My taxes aren’t done yet either.
I do all my cleaning out/decluttering/reorganizing only on crummy weather days. I don’t feel bad about staying home on those days. I look at the 10 day forecast and decide before hand what day/days I am going to do those things. When the day comes, I put on my favorite music really loud and get to work. I’m not good with doing a little bit at a time as it makes me feel I haven’t accomplished anything, so I tend to start very early in the morning and work at it until I drop.
Start. It’s the not starting which makes the task ahead seem difficult. You eat an elephant a bite at a time.
Who eats elephant? That is disgusting. Lol.
Anyway I was depressed Sunday but I’m getting better today because the stock market didn’t plunged and after seen Princess Charlotte picture recently, such a beauty. Off topic I know.
But I’m getting back to do something useful.
Garland- that IS part it. I would like to have one day to just relax and not feel like I need to get something accomplished.
And Missypie, I have been doing that. I make plans for the small things I want to get accomplished each day besides the usual daily things such as exercising, praying, meditating, watering outside plants, etc.
Today I worked on starting to get things in order for when I return to work. Another day I try to clean something out of a closet or garage or basement. H and I got the back deck waterproofed yesterday.
They only time I seem to be able to completely relax is when I am away from home. Haha. Then I obviously cannot be doing anything.
@morrismm - I moved last year and was determined to do all the packing and declutter as I went. At times it was overwhelming and I had to just keep telling myself, “you can only do one thing at a time”. If you think about the hugeness of the task in front of you, everything will just swirl around in your head and you get little or nothing done.
One thing at a time! And then put it on a list and you can check it off immediately, hehe.
I also found it easier to work in the evenings if I had a glass of wine, listened to music and/or had reruns of some show on that I didn’t have to pay too much attention to. Of course, a packing partner would have been even better. It was also fun to have a fire going in the winter and just throw some stuff in that really offended me.
(jk, it was only mounds of paperwork and I recycled it as kindling).
Give yourself a break. I moved nearly 11 years ago and I’ve yet to declutter.
"MY TAX IS NOT DONE YET! I NEED HELP! "
Me neither. Oh God, help me. And I’m not even doing the taxes, but just collecting the records for the accountant to do it, which is the worst part (besides paying all the extra taxes). Maybe I can just start drinking early, and it will help. Ahhhhhhh!!! Maybe I’ll try to do it tomorrow, since you reminded me? It is generally one of the most miserable days of my life.
Lol, you are off tomorrow? Lucky you. I go back tomorrow.
Uh oh, DrGoogle, I guess I should feel guilty. I’ve actually had so much time off that I’m bored now. I worked one week in May, one week in June, and one week in July. Will probably work one week in August. I get five weeks of vacation, but that basically equals ten weeks of vacation in reality, as our schedule consists of two weeks of work per month. The again, when we work, it’s not exactly 9-5. I keep trying to go to work, but there are no trips available, so I guess I need to stay home. And do taxes…I’d rather be making money, going somewhere that it isn’t 95 dang degrees outside!!!
You practically have a retiree schedule. Why retire?
I need to go to sleep. Goodnight!
True, why retire? However, when I have to work all night, or sometimes get up at 2am, it sure doesn’t feel like a retirees schedule! I think that is my retirement dream. To go to bed whenever I want, and the best ever part is waking up at any time my heart desires!! Goodnight to you.