When I first started this blog, one of my first posts had to do with the size of our apartment at the time which was 530 square feet. This housed myself, my husband, my daughter, and my cat. And it worked for a while. Honestly.
But last year, we found out that we were expecting a baby at the same time my husband and I were starting to feel that after 18 months of cozy togetherness, the walls were starting to close in our beloved 530 square feet. So last spring, we upgraded to a bigger apartment and added another 150-ish square feet.
So now we are a family of four humans and one cat resting comfortably in 700 square feet.
Or are we?
Here is the thing: I absolutely try my darndest to limit what comes in our apartment. I freely admit that clutter and messes give me anxiety. I am also aware that I have two children who will inevitably make messes and am also aware of the hilarious dichotomy between the two.
Now to some, 4 people and a pet living in 700 square feet sounds just fine, while to others, the word “claustrophobia” probably comes to mind. And that is okay. This just happens to be our season of life right now.
I find that with the extra square footage that we acquired last spring, it is easier for items to make their way past our front door. It is easier for paperwork to pile up on the kitchen table and counters. It is easier to shove items in the master bedroom closet since it is bigger than our last one and now voila! items are now unseen.
And all of this ramps up my anxiety.
I understand that another reason we have additional items is because we now have a baby. Babies need clothing and diapers and wipes and…well you get it. They have things they need and all of this stuff has to go somewhere. My older daughter also has her items whether it is homework stuff, or her books or toys.
So being methodical about what comes in and out of our apartment is something that I continuously have to work on because I do absolutely love the size of our apartment. I love the natural light we get and I love all the trees I can see outside of my windows.
But I also need to find a healthy balance because anxiety is no joke. Clutter drives me crazy. I need to get a bit of Zen in my day-to-day, for reals…
Do you guys live in a space with a limited number of square feet? Any tips and tricks you can share? Let me know in the comments! 🙂
Wow. I’m humbled by that number: 700 square ft. I just remember the huge amounts of stuff that come into a household when a baby is born. I think I used to ask people not to give stuffed animals as gifts after a time. And every birthday and Christmas, I’d try to get rid of things in equal proportion to what was coming in. But it was tough to keep it up! I hope you get a good system going. It’s awful to have that clutter anxiety. I suspect you’ll have to be ruthless about getting rid of things.
Yes, babies do come with a lot of stuff. I am being much more diligent with this time around, than I was with my oldest daughter, that’s for sure!
So I am someone who has anxiety but not about clutter. Clutter, to a point, actually provides a certain amount of comfort to me because well, I’m a bit of a slob. So dishes stacked in the sink, mail on the kitchen table and notepads scattered on my desk don’t make me blink an eye. But I also get what you’re saying because I’m trying to be more put together overall and will admit that there is a zen to orderliness that I overlooked before.
While my living situation is different, no husband and two kids but I do have the one cat, I find not procrastinating is the best advice I have. And as I am a master procrastinator, it’s something I have to work on myself, but when I deal with the mail immediately, rinse off dishes and get them in the dishwasher, and spend two minutes every night tidying up my desk, I don’t spend my entire Saturday cleaning because it’s not gross and insane.
I also think about the quote you once shared with me, “This too shall pass” and right now there is probably more clutter in your home because you have a newborn who goes through lots of diapers and bottles and onesies but soon, so very soon, she won’t need all those things either. So when anxiety is hitting you full force, remember what you once told me “this will pass” and then decide to simply enjoy your beautiful baby girl and extra “stuff” she brings into your home right now because in 14 short years, she’ll be asking you to drop-off her off from school a block away. 😀
Thanks again for your honest response Tanya 🙂 I am grateful for your truthful words!