Hope, I think that was a really good start.

Here is my not all or nothing getting started when you are overwhelmed trick for laundry.

Count how many articles of clothing you are wearing. Find that many plus at least one that can go in the same load. Wash, dry, and put away that load - progress for the day.

I will talk to you some more when I post in the other thread.

Hey, Hope, welcome *waves*

I second the recommendation to join us on the "What are you doing today" threads. The 2023 one will be drawing to a close and one of our regular ladies, Tatoulia, said that she will start the 2024 one.

I've been here posting since May of 2015 - but don't let my slow progress scare you. We can all pick up speed once we figure out what works for each of us and get some systems and routines in place. And it sounds like you have some good things going on already!

The main thing I believe about all this hoarding stuff is that most of us here have what the shrinks would call "good insight" - in other words, we aren't blind to the problem or in denial or defensiveness about it overall. We may have a few specific little blind spots that we can overcome (I'll speak for myself anyway!) but for the most part we are committed to improving our quality of life, and ready to make some sacrifices and mental shifts to help that happen.

The day to day implementation of this in practical terms is where we face obstacles, though, some within our control, some outside it. Life be crazy sometimes, and crises can come one on top of the other so that we can't catch our breath or get our bearings. We might be in trauma mode, fight or flight, wound up with anxiety. Or exhausted and depleted feeling like we barely have two brain cells to rub together.

Some of us are neuroatypical. For instance, I have ADHD, and that has both contributed to my accumulation of excess stuff, my tendency to make clutter rather than order in my environment, decision making difficulty, task initiation and follow through struggles, and much much more. So if we have any condition that means our brains process input differently, mainstream approaches to organization and time management may not click for us. And we may need to commit to finding things that help our brains work better. Like exercise, nutrition, etc. I've been exercising more lately, and I've found the ADHD is better and I am starting to get more decluttering done and feeling focused and not so lost about it.

Anyway, I could go on and on but I won't bore you, haha. Just glad you're here, things will get easier, and do hop over to the big main thread anytime. Happy New Year - to a brighter year in 2024! *champagne glass clinks*I

Thanks Subclinical and Lila. I appreciate your support. Sorry for the late reply. Lila, I saw your reply on 28Dec after you wrote it but I deeply grateful yet so emotionally drained. I have trouble writing the posts because I keep censoring myself. I have severe trust issues. Subclinical, I saw your post today. Again, deeply grateful and thank you both so much for your reply. Below is my progress report and new goal for today. I will try to be more brief going forward. thank you.

PROGRESS REPORT (from 28Dec)

GOAL: Clean perimeter of front porch
PROGESS: 95% complete
DISCARDED: 2 bags of trash
DONATED: 0

CHALLENGE: I desperately wanted to throw away
everything on top of my bookcases but I got
stuck. I collected a few pieces of OBVIOUS
trash but was unable to discard anything else.
I began negotiating with myself but still got
stuck and didn't do anything

Lesson learned - stop the all or nothing
thinking

GOAL: wash clothes
PROGESS: 0% complete

CHALLENGE: I was frustrated and overwhelmed by
having to sort clothes from all over. I was
also in a lot of pain in I set myself up for
failure by trying to do both goals. I have
health challenges (physical and emotional) that
I dealing with and should have known that this
was not realistic.
Lesson learned - set realistic goals

NEW GOAL
- Wash clothes

Welcome hope!

I hope you got a good start on your goals today. Getting th8ngs washed is a starting point for a lot of us.

Share whatever helps you. We will not judge.

Hello, Hope, and welcome! I am so glad you found us. We will listen and share and support you - we understand!

I am a separated mom in my early 50s.

It's helpful to post what you want to do for the day and then come back and tell how you did. It helps me, anyway, to have some accountability.

There are a handful of us who post regularly and you will find the most activity over on the thread "What are you doing today 2023", which in a few days will become a new thread for 2024. But come and post there and people will hear you!

There is also a Daily Tally thread that is active.

See you again soon! You can do this!

Hello everyone

I have been sitting here for several hours reading posts to help me dig out of my mess. I initially felt motivated but now I can barely pull myself together to write this post. Feeling helpless, ashamed and afraid.

I'm a hoarder due to trauma, depression, and other health challenges. I have to find a way to get through this. I've been out of work for a few months and have have depleted my savings so can't afford to hire help. This is on me. I don't have any help. This is so painful. I can't believe this is my life right now. Keep feeling like I should be able to do this but get overwhelmed every time I try.

I'm hurting so badly but there is still this a piece of me that still believes in me. I'm really overwhelmed and because i don't have help I sometimes throw away bulk items including things that mean a lot to me. still it sometimes feels like I am not making progress.

I'm rambling -I guess I just am reaching out to ask for support and also try to help others.

right now I feel like i'm in prison because i'm too ashamed to invite anyone over. I need repairs but have to have a way for people to enter.

Another traumatic event happened that makes me ashamed to put bulk trash outside so sometimes i feel stuck. I have so much to offer the world but if I don't get this under control, I won't be able to do anything. Sorry for rambling just need to say this in a safe space.

My mother is deceased and she was spotless. She was so proud of me in life, I want to make her proud of me in death as well.

my goal for today is to wash some clothes and to try to organize the perimeters of my front enclosed porch so i won't be so ashamed to open my front door, front windows or to turn on the lights. I will post every few days on my progress to hold myself accountable. Thanks for listening and for your support.