Hi Dana I am a new subscriber and loving your podcasts. A lifetime of resistance to housework is melting away. Not only a bad attitude but also a physical impediment in the form of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. Over the years I hid my cleaning problem by cleaning furiously before visitors came. This was my way of making things look clean when they were not… but its no way to live. Recently my secret was revealed to me in a big way. Last year I bought an old house that had been inhabited by hoarders! Yes it was a nightmare for a person with chronic fatigue but it was the only way I could ever afford to buy a house. Friends and I worked hard for months to clean it up and then after my furniture was moved we went back and cleaned my rental house. Thats when I saw my own problem clearly. After friends helped me unpack left I felt flat – physically and emotionally exhausted. I couldn’t face doing anything. It wasn’t simply tiredness – there was something more. Thats when I went to my chiropractor and her receptionist who had been through a similar experience cleaning up after her mother who was a hoarder, asked me how I was. I told her that I felt overwhelmed and unable to face anything and she totally understood. She introduced me to books on de-cluttering and websites including yours. It was the first time I ever had a good laugh about cleaning. I am still surrounded by clutter and unfinished tasks but listening to your story I no longer feel overwhelmed. I can relax, focus on one task at a time and know that it will all get done. Sharing your journey is such a gift. Blessings.
Hi Dana I am a new subscriber and loving your podcasts. A lifetime of resistance to housework is melting away. Not only a bad attitude but also a physical impediment in the form of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. Over the years I hid my cleaning problem by cleaning furiously before visitors came. This was my way of making things look clean when they were not… but its no way to live. Recently my secret was revealed to me in a big way. Last year I bought an old house that had been inhabited by hoarders! Yes it was a nightmare for a person with chronic fatigue but it was the only way I could ever afford to buy a house. Friends and I worked hard for months to clean it up and then after my furniture was moved we went back and cleaned my rental house. Thats when I saw my own problem clearly. After friends helped me unpack left I felt flat – physically and emotionally exhausted. I couldn’t face doing anything. It wasn’t simply tiredness – there was something more. Thats when I went to my chiropractor and her receptionist who had been through a similar experience cleaning up after her mother who was a hoarder, asked me how I was. I told her that I felt overwhelmed and unable to face anything and she totally understood. She introduced me to books on de-cluttering and websites including yours. It was the first time I ever had a good laugh about cleaning. I am still surrounded by clutter and unfinished tasks but listening to your story I no longer feel overwhelmed. I can relax, focus on one task at a time and know that it will all get done. Sharing your journey is such a gift. Blessings.
Oh I love hearing this so so much!!! Thank you!