Better Packing Through Chemistry
Nov 30th, 2007 at 11:50 am by Susie
I took half an Adderall this morning. Even though this one dose will make my face twitch for several weeks, even though it will make my heart feel tight in my chest, I don’t see that I have many options - someone has to pack the rest of this stuff, and I don’t see anyone here but me. That’s why I took off from work today.
All the big things are packed. But the odds and ends overwhelm me and bring out the most frantic brain dance of my ADD - and the overload always results in mental paralysis. Questions large and small nag at me: Do I pack the rest of the dishes today, or do I wait in case I wake up too late to go to the diner tomorrow and have to cook breakfast? (Finished off the instant oatmeal yesterday.)
Do I have enough boxes for all the little stuff? Should I take my giant IKEA dish drainer, even though the new place has a dishwasher? Do I pack the bathroom throw rugs today, knowing that tomorrow morning my bathroom floor will feel like a glacier? And that reminds me: I guess I should take a shower this morning because I sure as hell won’t have time tomorrow morning.
DEAR SWEET JESUS, DO I HAVE ENOUGH BOXES? I think so, and I do have those giant plastic bags from Home Depot for all the things that don’t fit in boxes. But still!
Calm down, Suze, take a deep breath… It’s times like this I regret living alone. It would be nice to have someone to help me focus, and maybe bring me an Egg McMuffin.
I’m still very excited about this move. But about packing? Not so much.
Remember, every journey begins with a small procrastination . . .
Wish my day weren’t so booked up - I’d much rather come over & help you pack. And yes - I PROMISE you have enough boxes! Best way to start: pick one task & do it, but keep it small and manageable. Don’t second guess, don’t come up with other stuff to do, just do it. If you do come up with something else to do, write it down and do it when you’re finished with the current task. Hang in there!
Now, back to the Child Psych test studying I’m avoiding…
I remember being stunned at how much stuff I had to pack when I made my last move around two years ago. And this was after getting rid of about a third of what I owned, literally giving most of it away.
When I was as close as you are to packing and going, I just focused on packing it and getting it to the new destination. If you own it, move it - don’t think about it until you’re in the new place.
Once it’s all in the new place, then you can take each box or bag in turn, assess to your heart’s content, and do with it what you will.
I hope it works as well for you.
Hey, I’d come over to help you, but I live on the other end of continent. I sorta did a similar thing three years ago. Moved from SoCal to the Northwest. Had to get rid of a lot of the stuff my kids had left behind and tons of stuff I didn’t need. My mom came out to help. Still came away with too much. Of course every once in while I go “Why did I get rid of that sweater?”
Good luck with it all. It will happen.