Uncluttered House

Posted on January 2, 2026 by msw blog

My house has become a mess – clutter everywhere – after going through a season of depression. I’m now in counseling, on medication and finally starting to feel better, but the mess feels too overwhelming to tackle. I’m ashamed to ask anyone for help, and I really want to get my home back in shape on my own.

I’d love to be able to have people over again. Even though I do see my friends out, I still feel isolated, and I’d like to start dating, but right now I can’t imagine inviting anyone into my home.

How can I start making progress and get my space (and confidence) back without feeling completely defeated? – Uncluttered House

Dear House: Start with one corner, or one drawer, or even the corner of one drawer. It’s easy for all of us to get overwhelmed when faced with the daunting task of undoing clutter that took months to accumulate in one go. And it can feel like failure to work all day on de-cluttering or cleaning and still feel like “the mess” is everywhere.

So, it will help to give yourself meaningful and manageable benchmarks as reminders that you are making progress, inside and out. And that progress isn’t always shocking or linear or exactly how we picture it.

Perhaps your internal monologue says something like “I will clean this whole house today.” And then, when you don’t, it says, “See? I could have cleaned this whole house, but I am a failure.” Makes it hard to want to break out the dustpan and the Swiffer.

Try an opposite mantra. “I will NOT clean this whole house today.” Pick that drawer or that corner and tell yourself, “I will work on only this. I will get it to ‘good enough.’ And I will celebrate myself for that.” And every time you feel like a failure, or feel overwhelmed, look at one of those de-cluttered corners or drawers and remind yourself, “I did that. And I can keep doing that when I’m ready.”This process may make it easier for you to ask for or hire help. As your acceptance and confidence grows, the desire to do it all on your own may lessen. Or you may find that you can make a big leap forward by hiring a hauler to come take away something big, or a professional de-clutterer’s team to tackle a stubborn room.

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Visualize

Posted on January 2, 2026 by msw blog

Imagine a place where you feel safe, comfortable, and at peace. Think about the details of that place and let yourself go there in your mind.

Positively Purging-I welcome your feedbacks in the comments and your likes and passing the real life wisdom on to others as I embark on this new venture of “positively purging“, as I know each of these pieces represents something…

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holiday decorations

Posted on January 1, 2026 by msw blog

Finally, donate some of that décor. Who among us hasn’t dragged the holiday decorations up from the basement, only to leave a few things at the bottom of the box and store them again until next year? Maybe it’s a family ornament you don’t really like or a garland that doesn’t fit your space anymore. Several experts begged: Declutter as you decorate. “If you didn’t use it last year, get rid of it,” Hammersley said. With sentimental items, Noseworthy suggests taking a picture to keep as a memory and then getting rid of them.

Positively Purging-I welcome your feedbacks in the comments and your likes and passing the real life wisdom on to others as I embark on this new venture of “positively purging“, as I know each of these pieces represents something…

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Winter Salad

Posted on January 1, 2026 by msw blog

I try to eat a big salad every day, usually for lunch, but sometimes for dinner. For me, it’s an easy way to get enough vegetables in a way I enjoy. But when the weather gets cold, I can get bored of my usual salads. How can I keep this habit going through the winter and still be satisfied? – greens

I love a big salad, too, and know that those refreshing, crisp spring-and-summer salads can hit different in the cold months, when we tend to crave something that feels more substantial.Swapping out tender lettuces for heartier dark leafy greens — kale, baby Swiss chard, spinach, shredded cabbage — can feel more cold-weather worthy. So can incorporating fall fruits (apples and pears and dried cranberries), nuts (especially walnuts and pecans) and seeds (pumpkin, sunflower).

Cooked whole grains that retain some chew — wheat or rye berries, farrow, sorghum, wild rice — can add more substance along with fiber and nutrients. Roasted vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, carrots, cubed butternut squash or delicata squash crescents add more fall flavor.

You can also play with different ingredients in your salad dressings. The toasty notes of walnut vinegar are nice in the fall, and I personally lean more toward sherry vinegar in the cool season, or apple cider vinegar if I’m including fruit in my salad. And don’t forget the protein! Play around with leftover roasted chicken, beans or beluga lentils, the tang of feta, goat cheese or blue cheese.

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Identity shifts

Posted on December 31, 2025 by msw blog

Listen to me clearly: Identity shifts are not a personal failing. When the roles that have anchored us change, it’s completely normal to feel untethered. Your breakdown can turn into a breakthrough opportunity to rediscover who you are beyond what you do.

Positively Purging-I welcome your feedbacks in the comments and your likes and passing the real life wisdom on to others as I embark on this new venture of “positively purging“, as I know each of these pieces represents something…

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