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Health & Fitness

Clear Your Space...Clear Your Mind #13

The continuing story of a professional organizer and her adventures through people's spaces. It reminds us that life is messy, you can never get it done, and you are not alone in all of it.

 

 

Chapter 7 ~ Spring  continued...

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    There are many reasons to move.  Joyce’s apartment no longer accommodated her physical needs, Lisa’s house was too big, too rambling, and too much work.  But the saddest reason I encountered for a move was when I met Jean. 

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     Jean lived in a beautiful old home with her husband and children.  Jean and her husband struggled, as many couples do, but the severity of her husband’s depression and the hopelessness he experienced was not completely understood, not by his doctors, his co-workers, or even his family.  One day he took his life in the house and Jean was the one who discovered him.  It was evident that to stay in a place, which held that kind of memory and energy was just plain impossible to tolerate, so Jean decided to move.

     Jean and her children had been living in their large Tudor home for many years.  I began working with her to help sort through everything as there was to be a significant downsize. The situation required a tremendous amount of sensitivity.  It also demanded a good amount of focus and keeping Jean on task proved quite a challenge.  It was not surprising that every corner and crevice of this old house held some kind of reminder of the life they all had together.  This journey down memory lane justifiably ran the emotional gamut from angry to tearful and back again. 

     My arrival would cause Jean to feel anxious, and to say she didn’t look forward to our visits, would be an understatement.  I do believe lying in her bed in the fetal position was the place she would be prior to my appearing on the scene.  I would ring the front door bell and hear Jean yelling, “Go away!”  Of course she didn’t really want me to go away but I understood how complicated and conflicted she felt during these sessions.  I explained how a certain percentage had to be gotten rid of because it just wouldn’t fit in her new place.  I suggested rather than send me away, let’s send away the excess.  She would say, “God, you’re so enthusiastic about it, you’re a clutter Nazi.”  Not the greatest term to be calling your nice Jewish organizer, but I cut her some slack.  Eventually, after many months, Jean and I made it through the house, through the stuff, and through the move.  Jean moved on. 

      These stories of Joyce, Lisa, and Jean remind me that our environment is primal.  It is not about affecting conditions, but rather your inner being craves to be fed by your environment.  They are now the queens in their own palaces, and their new homes have become food for their soul.  So if you are contemplating or preparing for a move, here are some tips to help guide you through it, making the transition as smooth as possible.

 

  1. Do a walk through of your home, seeing it as if for the first time.  This will provide a new viewpoint, helping you to identify what’s truly important.

 

  1. Then do another walk through, only this time use stickers or Post-its, to mark things that fall under the heading of “love and use”.

 

  1. As you begin sorting, go for the 4 pile method.  Take, Trash, Donate and Undecided. 

 

  1. Find a staging area in your home for each of these piles.

 

  1. Now make an inventory list of what you are taking with you. 

 

  1. Decide where everything on your list is going to live, before the movers come.  This will help facilitate a tranquil transition.

 

  1. Don’t forget to measure the closets in your new home.

 

  1. And don’t be afraid to ask for help.  Moving is a big job and many hands make work light. 

 

Spring is a time of renewal - so let in the fresh air and breathe.

 

...to be continued

 

 

 

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