Cluttered Memories

If you have an attic or basement (or both), chances are some organization is desperately needed. They tend to be repositories for everything that doesn’t fit into the more visible parts of the house—old textbooks, tattered holiday decorations and Halloween costumes from 1983, boxes of photographs, prom dresses, etc.— and sometimes they are just plain landfills. Out of sight, out of mind! It’s too easy to gradually accumulate objects to the point of chaos that seems insurmountable.
 
Liz Seymour, a writer for the Washington Post, decided to tackle attic-organizing, which ended up taking 11 weeks and costing more than over $500! Seymour points out the two difficult parts of the cleaning: the physical labor and the “emotional experience.” It’s hard to admit that many inherited items will never be put to use; the sorting and throwing away can take a toll on you. Seymour ended up hiring a professional organizer to help her along.
 
Getting organized can be taxing if you are digging down memory lane, but when all was said and done, Seymour states, “The overwhelming emotion I feel is relief.”

How do you cope with the emotional aspect of organizing? If you are just starting to organize or thinking about getting started, check out our 30 days of tips! [Washington Post]