Build the Bridge to Connect People

Build a Bridge to Connect People

Graphic used under license agreement from PresenterMedia.com

When I attended a recent training on youth in crisis, the instructor spoke about suicide. Because of my degree in counseling, I was not surprised to know that Montana ranks very high in suicide rates.  What did surprise me, though, was a statistic that in the United States in 2012, middle-aged people (45-64 years) had the highest rate of suicide, followed by the elderly (64 and older) and then the young.  Men over the age of 65 have a rate of suicide that is nearly seven times higher than that of women over age 65.  The statistics startled me and compelled me to study further.

As it turned out, the Town and Country Homemakers group in Dutton, who I’ve had the pleasure of working with several times a year for nearly two decades, were looking for an educational program for their March meeting.  I quickly volunteered to teach on the topic of seniors in crisis and suicide in the older population.  

I often find myself as much the student as the teacher with this wonderful group.  Their role call for the meeting was to tell about a time when they were struggling and someone helped them.  Years of life experiences poured out, with the critical message that each crisis passed and someone had been integral in pulling each of them through a dark point in their lives.  The group then went on to their business meeting, some of which involved purposefully considering others who might need company or correspondence.  It seemed one of the main goals of the meeting was to provide points of connection with those who might need it.  It warmed my heart, because the lesson I had prepared included statistics about suicides, signs for suicide and successful prevention of suicide. According to the Montana Strategic Suicide Prevention Plan 2015, one of the suicide risk factors in the elderly includes social isolation and loneliness.  This community-minded group was already working on their own prevention plan.  They gather each month.  During every meeting there are announcements about other community events.  They plan activities to look forward to as a group.  They make an effort to connect to others who might find themselves isolated or going through a rough transition.

Some of the other risk factors for suicide among the elderly include bereavement, perceived poor health, undiagnosed depression, major changes in social roles such as retirement or moving, and financial insecurity.  Also, physical illness, particularly uncontrolled pain, contributes.  However, very few (2-4%) elderly people who complete suicide have been diagnosed with a terminal illness at the time of their death.  

Some of the factors that protect people from suicide include social activity, established social support network, pets and restricted access to lethal means.  In Montana, 63 percent of suicides are from firearms – a particularly lethal means.  It is suggested to have firearms locked and to also have trigger locks.  I’ve heard the recommendation that ammunition and firearms be housed separately.  Anything to make it more complicated or take more time can create a preventive barrier.  Sometimes a delay of even two minutes is enough for someone to change their mind or to have their attempt interrupted.

There are often warning signs before a suicide attempt.  When someone says he should just kill himself or if she talks about ways to kill herself, it is called ideation.  Pay particular attention if a person is unusually focused on death, dying or suicide or if they are unusually seeking access to firearms or pills.  Any time someone expresses that they are considering suicide, it should be taken seriously.  Increased alcohol or substance abuse can be a warning sign.  Starting to give things away or neglecting to take care of themselves or their own hygiene are signs.  Withdrawing from friends and isolating themselves are also signs of concern.  

A way of offering hope is through QPR.  QPR is a technique to offer hope and stands for Question, Persuade and Respond.  In the same way that CPR can keep the heart beating and the blood circulating, using QPR for someone close to suicide can be lifesaving.  It is a very direct approach.  If you suspect or are worried about someone contemplating suicide, ask directly, “Are you thinking about killing yourself?”  You can provide a softer lead, if you want, acknowledging your observations, “You have seemed pretty upset and miserable lately.  Sometimes when other people get to that point, they wish they weren’t alive.  Are you feeling that way?”  Avoid anything judgmental.  It is critically important to remember, this is about them, no matter how you might be impacted.  If they are at the point they are considering suicide, you need to park your own feelings.  How they feel and what they are thinking should drive the conversation.

If they answer that they are thinking about suicide, persuade them to stay alive.  They are considering suicide as a solution.  Find out what the problems are.  Validate their feelings.  Try to really understand, and offer hope in any form.  Ask if you can get them some help.  Even your time listening to their problems is likely to be helpful and hopeful for them.  You may even persuade them to postpone any suicide decision until they have tried some other potential solutions.

Imagine the despair that a person must feel when they reach a point that they are considering ending their life.  They may feel helpless, so the next step is to refer them to help.  It is best if you can take the person directly to help, whether the emergency room, a counselor, clergy or police.  You can also get a commitment from them to accept help and start making the arrangements for a time in the very near future.  If neither of the first two options work, try to get a promise for them to schedule time with a therapist and to not attempt suicide.  

At the Golden Gate Bridge, a site of many suicides and attempts, officers are trained to spot potential jumpers.  One officer has had particular success intervening and has persuaded more than 200 people to reconsider.  His technique is much like QPR.  He asks how they are feeling, and I suspect he is particularly skilled in listening and reaffirming.  He asks them about their plans for the next day.  If they don’t have one, he helps them make a plan for tomorrow, which, in a way, is asking them for a commitment to their plan for tomorrow.  

While many of us are not specially trained to look for signs of suicide, many of us can still build the bridge to human connection.  Sometimes an act as small as a smile can be a huge acknowledgement, and a heartfelt conversation can be a lifeline.  As the women in the Town and Country Homemakers know, connection can make the difference.

Click on any of the links below to connect to more information.

Here are some resources from MSU Extension:


Handling Challenging Times

Understanding and Managing Stress

Helping Friends Cope with Financial Crisis

Depression: What You Should Know


If you are in crisis and want help, call the Montana Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 24/7, at 1-800-273-TALK
(1-800-273-8255).  Reach out to someone.  There are people in your life and in your community who have their hearts open and want you to live.  

Graphic used under license agreement from PresenterMedia.com

The following resources were curated by Montana Department of Health and Human Development and can also be found on their website.

2014 US Suicide Data

2015 Montana Youth Risk Behavior Survey - Suicide Report

A Manager’s Guide to Suicide Postvention in the Workplace

A Prioritized Research Agenda for Suicide Prevention

Addressing Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Substance Abuse Treatment (SAMHSA)

After an Attempt

• A Guide for Taking Care of Your Family Member After Treatment in the Emergency Department
• A Guide for Taking Care of Yourself After Your Treatment in the Emergency Department
• A Guide for Medical Providers in the Emergency Department Taking Care of Suicide Attempt Survivors

After a Suicide Toolkit for Schools

Altitude and Suicide

Assessment of Suicide Risk using C-SSRS (please watch training video before using scales)

Bullying and Suicide Prevention- SAMHSA Webinar

Depression Management Tool Kit

Emergency Departments:  Caring for Adult Patients with Suicide Risk

Handbook for Recovery After a Suicide Attempt

Jail Suicide Study - 20 Years Later

Let's Talk Montana

• Let's Talk Billings
• Let's Talk Miles City

Means Reduction and Suicide

Media Guidelines for the Reporting of Suicide

Montana Strategic Suicide Prevention Plan-2013

Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for High Schools

Preventing Suicide by American Indians

Primary Care Guidelines in Assessing Suicide Risk in Veterans

SAMHSA Suicide Prevention Toolkit for Senior Living Communities

Skills and Support for Coping with Suicidal Thoughts

Social Programs that Work - Good Behavior Game

SOS Flyer

State Suicide Plan

Suicide & Bullying

Suicide in Montana Handout

Suicide Mortality Review Team

• 2014 SMRT Final Report 
• Montana Code Annotated 53-21-1107 -  Montana suicide review team
• Suicide Mortality Review Team

Suicide Prevention: A Toolkit for High Schools

Suicide Prevention Toolkit For Rural Primary Care Providers

Suicide Prevention Resources for LGBT Youth

• Leader's Guide for Suicide Prevention amo`
  
  
  
  ng LGBT Youth Workshop
• Packet of Handouts for Suicide Prevention among LGBT Youth Workshop
• Suicide Risk and Prevention for LGBT Youth
• The Trevor Project

Suicide Survivor Handbook

Talking to Children About Suicide

Tools for Primary Care

• Basic scoring guide for Clinicians
• PHQ - Questions
• SAFETY Plan Template
• Safety Planning Guide
• Safe-T Protocol with C-SSRS

Warning Signs of Suicide

Warning Signs Poster

Youth Suicide Prevention Video

Zero Suicide

Hearts: For Loving and Living

In a recent Strong Hearts Healthy Women class, we discussed the connection between stress and heart disease.  We discussed that often we have not been taught productive ways to deal with our emotions or stress.  Coincidentally, my mom and I were recently talking with a friend about her parents and their health.  I never met my maternal grandfather, Fenton Burgess, because he died of a heart attack at age 50.  Mom said one day he told my grandma he wasn’t feeling well and thought he’d go see Dr. Buker at the clinic.  He was sitting in the waiting room when he dropped over and died from a heart attack.  The family knew of three other heart attacks that he had, but his autopsy showed enough scarring in his heart to indicate that he had perhaps had several more prior to the final one.  I know Grandpa Fenton smoked, which is a contributing factor, but while my mom was telling the story, she added a piece I had not heard before about Grandpa.   She said, “He struggled with his temper.” 

Studies have shown that people with a quick temper are at greater risk of suffering a heart attack or dying from heart disease.  Quick anger, or hostility, may increase blood pressure and contribute to the hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis.  How emotional and physical changes in the body are linked is a fascinating area of research. Physical changes based on emotions, such as anger, can cause damage to the cardiovascular system.

Years ago, when I first moved to Teton County, I had the pleasure of attending a class in Browning, where I listened to an eloquent and wise women talk about disease in our society.  She broke down the word, “dis-ease,” and reminded us that any time your mind was not at ease, the body would find a way to manifest the situation and often it was in the form of disease.  In addition to temper, depression is found to have links to heart disease.  Depression is reported more in women. 

One of the natural ways to manage both anger and depression is through exercise.  Our Strong Hearts class participants thought of many positive mechanisms to cope with negative emotions.  The list included finding a walking partner or exercise companion, or volunteering to reduce social isolation and bring meaning to life.  Pets have long been recommended as a therapy for depression.  Yoga, Tia Chi, meditation and prayer also made the list.  Purposeful stretching and breathing can be beneficial.  There are many breathing exercises available, but one we tried in class was inhaling through the nose for a four-count beat and exhaling through the mouth for a six-count beat. 

We talked about some of the unhealthy responses such as overeating, over-consuming alcohol and smoking. Some newer negative tendencies may include binge consuming media, whether video or social media. Some concerns were raised about constant interruptions our devices and our world provide and how regaining purposeful focus can be so instrumental in reducing stress. In order to reduce stress, we may need to set boundaries as to when and where we respond and how often we take a break from social contact. Perhaps you’ve heard of FOMO, or the Fear Of Missing Out. In a March 2014 post, Forbes author Kristi Hedges put it this way, “You might have FOMO if you constantly check social media and email. This isn’t about logging into Facebook a few times a day; this is feeling antsy if you can’t be connected at all times. We like to blame our work cultures for forcing us to always be available on email, but in my experience, it’s more often a choice the person makes. After all, we train people how to treat us.” I think, in addition to exercise, meditation and breathing, we will need to learn how to disconnect to reduce stress. At the beginning of the year, I took four days to renew and refresh, and probably most importantly, to disconnect. I didn’t leave my house, didn’t answer any phones or emails and minimized my interaction with others. Sometimes, we just need to recharge for our mental and physical health.

This photo of Grandpa Fenton was on
display in our home.  It always made me
wish I had known him.  

As you think about the mind and body connection, you may want more techniques for dealing with the stress in your life.  The MontGuide, “50 Stress Busting Ideas forYour Well-being” may be a good resource for you.  I wish my Grandpa Fenton would have found some better ways to cope with his stress, so I might have been able to meet him. It is best to get a handle on your stress, not just for your heart, but for those you love, some of whom you might not have even met yet. 

Bah! Humbug! Just Breathe ...

I know last week I was a little bah-humbug about the holidays.  I really don’t mean to sound like Scrooge, but the holidays provide unique stressors for nearly everyone.  For me, it tends to be gift giving.  It stresses my time, energy, creativity and budget.  I don’t think I’m alone.  A conversation with my 10-year-old daughter revealed that she, too, is stressed about finding the right gifts for her family that fit within the confines of her time, talent and budget.  We talked about the gifts she brings that we appreciate most are not ones that can be put in a box and wrapped.  Her sense of humor and loving spirit are two much appreciated gifts.  Still, even 10-year-olds are not immune to the stresses of the season.

Maybe for you gift-giving isn’t the trigger.  Maybe food is a stressor for you.  All those high-sugar treats tempting you all the time.  It could be the extra events in the schedule that tax a limited energy supply.  Perhaps your stressor is a particular family member who pushes your buttons and who you can avoid most of the year, except during the holidays.  And, for many, the holidays bring to mind the person who isn’t at the holiday table this year, and never will be again. 

Life, with its joys and sorrows, doesn’t really consult dates on a calendar when it presents us with challenges.  It has been a long time ago now, but I remember two holiday seasons, in particular, where I vacillated between the joyfulness of the season and the clarity of future reality.  It was a little bit like being on a teeter-totter on a playground.  Thrilled when you were up and bracing for when you were down, never knowing if it was going to be a soft touch down, going right back up; or, if this was the time you hit hard and bounced off. 

In 2004, my family – the sisters, the spouses, the children and my parents – all decided to go to Lethbridge for a family vacation.  We planned to enjoy a water par
k and other holiday happenings the city had to offer.  We were one year into my Dad’s brain cancer at that point.  The idea was great, but the timing was bittersweet.  Dad had been doing pretty well, but during that trip, it became evident that the tumor was growing again.  The following year, we spent the holiday season with Dad at Peace Hospice in Great Falls.  As a mother with young children at the time, I tried to keep up the appearances of the holidays for their sake.  Looking back, it seems like a strange blur of all the right holiday dresses, food and decorations accompanied with the worry, the doctors and nurses, and the inevitable death of my father. 

I think all people have their own bittersweet at the holidays.  I think the trick is to find more sweet than bitter.  There are ways to counteract holiday stress triggers.  One way is to communicate your needs clearly to those around you.  If cooking the meal for a huge family gathering destroys your joy, do a potluck or ask everyone to bring one appetizer, or have everyone bring their favorite cereal and you supply the milk.  Your family will surely remember the year they had cold cereal for their holiday feast!  Or, skip the food entirely and do a game night.  Another way to combat stress is to get regular exercise.  Even if you have company or are traveling, set aside the time you normally would to walk, swim, run or stretch.  Try to keep your diet as regular as possible, maybe even putting a little more focus on getting a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. Eat a healthy breakfast packed with whole grains and drink plenty of water. When you are well-nourished, it seems you can handle more of the stresses coming your way. 

You can also use a variety of breathing techniques to reduce stress.  One breathing technique I learned during my counselor training was to exhale through your mouth as long as possible.  When you can no longer breathe out, take a deep breath in.  This technique was recommended for people who had anxiety attacks.  When you are already anxious, you are pretty tight and then someone will say, “take a deep breath,” which is not possible because are tense.  If you breathe the air out of your lungs first, they have to refill.  It can be very helpful in stressful situations or when having trouble sleeping at night.  Just repeat the process a few times until your body relaxes. 

You can even use those devices we all seem to be carrying around to help you relieve stress during the holidays.  The Shop Smart magazine, produced by Consumer Reports, recommended a few apps for stress reduction, including Breathe2Relax, Buddhify, Omvana and more, plus a few recommended podcasts including those found at UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center.  If an app isn’t for you, perhaps set a timer to remind you to go for a walk or do some deep breathing, stretching and relaxation exercises. 

With some of the stress-reduction tips, I hope you will find yourself up more than down on this season’s see-saw.  

___________________________________________________________

Disclaimer:  I have faith that you will take what you can use from this blog and discard the rest.  I believe in your ability to discern whether or not to spend any money on products suggested.  I trust you to understand that I am not endorsing any particular commercially available product over another one of like quality and cost.  

Resources:

The resources below are links to other websites that may be of interest to you on the same topic as this blog.

A Simple Enough Holiday  -- After writing my post, I found this article.  The author and I seem to share many of the same sentiments.  Wonder if we are distantly related?  

Tips on Holiday Eating from Our Friends at Utah State University Extension

Coping with Stress from eXtension

Grief and the Holidays

And now a few words from the Christmas Witch ...

Around this time last year, a misguided and belated witch, presumably from Halloween, arrived to take over my psyche during the Christmas holiday season.  My family will recall that it nearly took an exorcism to remove her from my body.  I was very frustrated last year with the tasks related to the holiday season.  The tasks that annoyed me the most, and with Grinch-like stealth stole my pleasure, were related to gift-giving.  I know, “it is better to give than receive” and all that, but I was in no mood for either giving or receiving -- at least not tangible, store-bought items.  I was actually so uncharacteristically miserable about it last year that I vowed to reassign the gift detail to my husband this year.  We have a month to go to see how that works!

Maybe you also find yourself overwhelmed during the holidays.  There are a variety of tips that people can use to bring a better proportion to their holiday season, but for now, since my Scrooge-like focus is on gift giving, I’ll offer a few tips in that department.  One of my favorite ideas is to eliminate gift-giving entirely, when possible.  All those $5-10 gifts for the various groups your family belongs to, from work to clubs, really add up.  Not only in the monetary budget, but in the energy budget.  All the time spent shopping and deciding and wrapping only clutter your holidays.  And, really, when was the last time you got or gave a $10 gift that it was truly a needed item.  Most people can and will buy what they want for themselves in that price range.  My “gift” to many people in my world is that I will neither provide nor expect gifts from them.  Talk to your colleagues or your civic clubs and youth organizations and take a load off everyone and eliminate the gift exchange.

Another idea to reduce financial strain during the gift-giving hubbub is to start with the end in mind.  At the end of your purchases, you don’t want the residual gift to be perma-debt. Far too many households carry an extraordinary amount of credit card debt. People often get carried away, either with the impulse purchases during the holiday season or with the pressure to give really good (read expensive) gifts.  Jean Chatzky, author and financial editor for NBC's Today Show, recommends a budget of 1.5% of your household’s after-tax income be spent on holiday gifting.  According to the US Department of Labor, the mean wage in Montana is $39,000.  After subtracting 25%, as a general estimate for taxes, that leaves $29,250 multiplied by 1.5%, leaves $438 for a gift budget.  Based on this example, our average Joe Montanan, would write down everyone on his gift-giving list and figure out how to divide up his gift budget among those recipients.  According to Chatzky, 1.5% is the amount most Americans can pay off by February, if they charge holiday purchases.  Well, now, thanks to the math, I realize why I was so grumpy last year.  The price on the expected and advertised gifts well exceeded my 1.5% budget!

A friend offered another suggestion to reduce the stress of holiday shopping.  She only gives what she can buy locally.  Think about how much time is saved, and how much more pleasant the experience, when shopping where you live.  Perhaps the choices will be more limited than the gazillion options of online shopping, but it can be the gift that keeps giving – circulating money in the local economy.  Plus, it can be a great tool for those of us who suffer from TMC (Too Many Choices) syndrome. 

Another tip is to give only gifts you already own. Some of the most memorable and nicest gifts I’ve ever received were used and it actually was the “thought” that counted.  Among my favorite gifting ideas is to give services, such as oil changes, haircuts, house cleaning or to share your own talents by volunteering to mend or cook, or do odd jobs for which you are skilled.  I also like the idea of giving experiences, not things, which reduces clutter.  A great example I heard recently was when grandchildren, who never know what to get their grandmother anyway, decided to pay for her to participate in strength-training classes at her assisted-living facility.  One of my favorite gifts I received last year was from my mother, who bought tickets for our family and our neighbors to enjoy a Phil Aaberg concert in Chester.  It was the highlight of my otherwise self-induced surly season last year. 

 

This year, Phil Aaberg will be in Choteau on December 11 giving his talents to help the group.  This group gives support to people in our community who are developing their own talents, but may not be able to afford parts of their training.  These

are the gifts that keep on giving.
Opportunities for All

This year, I hope to take my witch’s broom and sweep away at least a few of the strains of the season.  Maybe some of the ideas will work for you to be holly and jolly, too.  

_________________________________________________________________

Jean Chatzky Holiday Spending

MSU Tips on Jolly

Holiday Stress

Clutter Busting and Data Hoarding

This year, in an attempt to clear my own clutter, so that I could feel free to give clutter-clearing advice to others, I have been able to delete six gigabytes of data out of my work email folders.  And then, because my clutter-clearing ways are catchy, we decided to reorganize some use of main office space.  At the courthouse, we have the use of three offices.  The main office is a small space, shared by two people.  In order to accommodate some shifting of items that weren’t yet purge-worthy from the main office into my office, I had to find a bit of space.

I looked to the most logical spot – the file cabinet.  File cabinets are great, as long as the only things in them are items you really need to keep or use.  I, however, had two file drawers full of discs.  Not only did I have CD back-ups of my work computer from, well, probably the time that CDs were invented, but I also had two (very neatly labeled, I might add) boxes of discs – you know, the 3 ½ inch floppy kind.  The boxed were accompanied by a three-ring binder with numerically coded print-outs of the contents of each disc.  Being an organized hoarder, doesn’t make you any less of a hoarder.

What I realized, as I finally let go of all that data and information on the 150 floppies and 89 CDs and DVDs, was that it was time to let go of the past and to let go of a point in time that would never be again.  My daughters had a blast using a hammer to destroy whatever data resided on that medium.  They had never seen the 3 ½-inch floppy disc before and about 37 discs into the destruction, my oldest says, “Hey, you know what these look like?  The little ‘save’ icon on the computer!”  Yes, there is a whole generation that doesn’t know that the save icon was designed to look like a disc.  But, speaking of ‘save’ icons, we need to get back to deciding which icons in our world are worth saving.

One helpful resource categorized clutter into four main areas – aspirational clutter (things you want to use, but don’t), out-of-place clutter (things you need to put away), sentimental clutter (things to which you’ve attached emotional value), and bargain clutter (things that were obtained for low cost or free).  It is funny, but just knowing how to assign my clutter has really helped in getting a grip on it.  Or letting the grip go, as the case may be. 

My box of discs contained aspirational clutter.  Somewhere on one of those floppies was the first chapter of a book I intended to write.  There was also sentimental clutter.  There were files from my first years as a professional.  Somehow it was easier for me to get rid of those items, once they were assigned categories.  Am I really going to write a book?  Would it be the same topic or the same thoughts as when I was 20-something? Will I forget my days as a young teacher and school counselor if I toss the discs from those years?  The answer, to all the questions, is – probably not.  If you hold too tightly to the past, you might not be able to get a good grip on the present. 

Clutter Resources:

Disclaimer: The comments contained in any of the resources below are that of the originator.  Our providing them for you in no way is an endorsement of anything in particular at all.  Use your skills to determine their value to you at this place and time in your life.

De-clutter your office desk
Wonder Woman
The ambience of your workplace affects your brain, thoughts and your actions. "Physical and emotional clutter creates mental disorganization which reduces productivity and creativity," says Dr Bhavana Barami, clinical psychologist and corporate trainer ...

The Clutter & Stress Connection
Care2.com
Time: Many people feel that clutter is a drain on our energy, but it also drains us of our precious time. Think of the time you spend looking for your glasses, keys, wallet, shoes, tools, etc. Even when you might be looking right at the item, sometimes ...

Simple ways to clear your mental clutter - She Knows
Tired of being so stressed out? May is Mental Health Month and we've got helpful ways to clear the mental clutter and ease your mind.

Workplace Clutter
Pharmacy Times
The average employee wastes 2 to 4 hours each week looking for things they need to do their work—manuals that aren't on the shelf where they expect them to be, documents that are piled in “horizontal files,” and supplies that have been misplaced.

Clutter – Katie Couric Katie's Big De-Clutter Transformation Revealed! ... Expert Organizer's Tips for De -Cluttering Every Room in Your Home ... How to De-Clutter Your Digital Mess ... www.katiecouric.com/tag/clutter/

Clutter Clearing

Last year, as a committee chair for a professional organization in Montana, I was asked to provide a series of educational articles on reducing clutter.  My colleagues felt they could increase their focus and productivity by reducing clutter.  Originally, I thought it would be a pretty easy assignment.  I love to organize and clear clutter, or so I thought.  However, I generally think that to inspire others you have to walk your talk, or at least try.  So for a year, I have been acutely aware of my own clutter.  This awareness was aided by constant messages in my email inbox regarding clutter.  I used an online “clipping service” to search the web and feed me any new information on clutter, cleaning and organizing. 

                Twelve months ago, I started with the good intention of writing a series of four articles for the professional organization and also sharing them with you.  You’ve heard, “It’s the thought that counts”?  I’ve only shared one article with you.  In February, I told about how I realized that I was a data hoarder, saving all my work related emails since this century started, every digital photo I’ve ever taken, and every letter I’ve written.  I don’t seem to hoard outside my computer, but give me a hard-drive and look out!

                Since taking on the clutter assignment, it seems the world has conspired to not only help me see my own clutter, but to give me an opportunity to clear my clutter -- from my computer crashing (new incentive to hit the delete key more frequently) to a mouse invasion at my office (complete inspiration to toss any number of nested and nasty items) and a few other incentives in between.  If you are also in need of inspiration to do some clutter-busting this year, but don’t really want to wait around for rodents, floods or fires to get you moving, I’ll offer a few tips.  Set aside one hour, one day per month.  Put the date on your calendar, as an appointment with yourself.  Set the timer.  It will be amazing what you can get done in a short amount of time.  Pick one location in your home, shop, garage or office and give a concentrated 60 minutes to the task.  Set up boxes with labels such as shred, recycle, thrift store or garbage.  When the time is up take the items and immediately shred, recycle, donate or trash.  As you clear, be realistic.  Have you (or has anyone else) used it lately?  Do you have plans to use it in the next year?  If it is broken, is it fixable?  If it is fixable, will you actually fix it and put it into use?  If so, why haven’t you done it yet? 

                You could also use a different approach by setting a number of items goal – five things, five days a week for five months.  That would clear 125 items out of your life.  More if you live with others and convince them to play along. Make a commitment not to purchase more clutter or use the rule, “An item in, an item out.” If you buy less, you can save more and you can spend less of your life on “stuff management” and more of your life living. I hope clearing the clutter will also clear some stress in your life. 

Resources to Inspire:

                Disclaimer:  The ideas expressed in the articles below (on their websites, in the advertising) are not necessarily endorsed by MSU Extension.  They are offered for your consideration only.

1.         http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/news/liveit/story.html?id=a2e8e9d4-a607-4936-9e69-d44043a48c94
The Province
Work-at-home mother Trish feels she's been left alone to deal with the clutter clogging up their home with her husband away at work as well as off on hunting trips and excursions. But Trish has tangible items of her own from her past she's reticent to ...

Points to Consider:

"We hold onto these things as talismans for what we were, what we should have been, what we still want to be, whatever that is.

"Letting go of them ... I think it's freeing because we can say: 'Who am I now and who do I want to be? And let me surround myself with those kinds of optics."

There should still be limits on what to safeguard and what to discard.

2.         http://www.terrysfabrics.co.uk/infographic/conquer-clutter-in-a-month/

Points to Consider:

Start small and make a schedule, room-by-room to declutter.

Types of clutter:  Aspirational – Things you want to use, but don’t.  Out-of-Place – Things that just need put away.  Sentimental – Things to which you have attached emotional value.  Bargain – Things that were obtained for discount or free.

3.        http://moneysavingmom.com/2013/05/clutter-busting-challenge-day-21-i-cleaned-up-the-backyard.html

Points to Consider:

Set aside a few minutes each day and get rid of seven things each day for a month. 

4.        Clutter tip of the week: Being organized is not about tidiness
OregonLive.com
Professional organizer Patty McPherson, owner of Orderly Manor, in Plymouth, Mass., writes that "The level of tolerable clutter varies from person to person. It's something I have to learn about my clients so don't try to make my standards their ...

Points to Consider:

Disorganization is a source of stress.  Clutter adds to stress.