Posted by BekkaH on April 7, 2003, at 0:01:18
In reply to The endless mess, posted by noa on April 6, 2003, at 19:21:15
Hi Noa,
I haven't read the entire thread, but I've read your post and some of your past posts about the difficulties of keeping the apartment clean. I have a couple of suggestions that seem to help me. You see, I'm a clutter bug/pack rat. I clip and save zillions of articles, often saving entire newspapers and magazines. I also print out a lot of information from the Internet,so you can just imagine what it is like here. I found that it helps to make very strict rules about the amount of time spent on the Internet. The Internet is a wonderful resource, but it is also a huge time-killer. It's not as passive as television, but I can spend HOURS online, doing non-work-related "research," but I don't have DSL, and it takes forever. Before I know it, the day is over. I'm also trying to set a rule, especially for weekends: No Internet or e-mail reading/responding until I've exercised. Exercise is a wonderful antidepressant, and I find I'm much more productive if I do it earlier in the day. If you don't have cable TV, there isn't much on the networks to distract you from important tasks, like keeping your apartment fit for human habitation, but the Internet offers an inexhaustible supply of distractions. Even if I'm reading something online that doesn't really interest me, I'm deluded into thinking I'm doing something important because I'm a BIT more active while moving and clicking the mouse than I am when I'm sitting comatose in front of the TV. So, I find it helps to set rules as far as the Internet is concerned. It is just too addictive, and meanwhile the dishes pile up, and the dust mites have a party 24/7.
The other thing that helps me is to set tiny goals. For example, I'll say, "Today I'm going to go through just this ONE pile of papers." When the goals are small, they aren't so daunting, and I'm much more likely to actually do them. Then, what often happens is the "nothing succeeds like success" phenomenon. I feel so good about having FINALLY picked up the newspapers or tackled the personal papers that I'm more likely to continue.
Another suggestion I have as far as the kitchen sink is concerned is to buy paper plates, plastic cups and plastic utensils so that, at the very least, the pile in the sink won't get worse. I know the paper goods are environmentally-unfriendly, but, quite frankly, at present, I think it's much more important for you to make your living space a place you want to come home to, a place that is a haven rather than another source of stress that adds to your depression.
I hope this helps a bit.
Bekka
poster:BekkaH
thread:216795
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20030401/msgs/216856.html