I think emotional eating is the hardest eating habit to break. I think like any other habit, there are going to be backslides, but I think the key is substituting it for another activity as much/often as possible.
I really do think decluttering is one way to relieve stress. I really wish that much of the STUFF in our house would just go away. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually want to jettison many of my books. I just don't want books around that I don't like much because my tastes have changed, or I haven't picked them up in years, or months...it's anathema to me because I was a huge book packrat. But there you go. And papers. OMG, the papers. I still have papers/stories I've written or saved since I was in Jr. High. Now, fat chance I'll get rid of some of those, BUT there's a ton of other papers that I hung onto that I'm realizing are just clutter. If I really feel I have to keep them, I may start scanning the most "precious" of those.
Gah.
Look, I think you're awesome and strong, you're holding up incredibly well to adversity and for *so long* (we get an edited version on LJ, I know, but...) and to me, it's a wonder you weren't consigned to the looney bin months ago! I would have been!
Have you ever gone to the Flylady site? Google it. She's got a Master Plan for decluttering, and how to do it. Ignore the "godspeak" (which really isn't that bad) stuff, and get down to the meat of it. Some people are turned off by the shmoopsiness, but it the principles are sound. I think I made it sound worse than it is.
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I really do think decluttering is one way to relieve stress. I really wish that much of the STUFF in our house would just go away. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually want to jettison many of my books. I just don't want books around that I don't like much because my tastes have changed, or I haven't picked them up in years, or months...it's anathema to me because I was a huge book packrat. But there you go. And papers. OMG, the papers. I still have papers/stories I've written or saved since I was in Jr. High. Now, fat chance I'll get rid of some of those, BUT there's a ton of other papers that I hung onto that I'm realizing are just clutter. If I really feel I have to keep them, I may start scanning the most "precious" of those.
Gah.
Look, I think you're awesome and strong, you're holding up incredibly well to adversity and for *so long* (we get an edited version on LJ, I know, but...) and to me, it's a wonder you weren't consigned to the looney bin months ago! I would have been!
Have you ever gone to the Flylady site? Google it. She's got a Master Plan for decluttering, and how to do it. Ignore the "godspeak" (which really isn't that bad) stuff, and get down to the meat of it. Some people are turned off by the shmoopsiness, but it the principles are sound. I think I made it sound worse than it is.