Month: April 2017

Buddhist monks live by a simplicity philosophy: operate mindfully, be grateful, and live simply. This simplicity allows them to find peace and calm in their everyday lives. The surprising thing is that this zen-like style of living can improve your life as well. Try these simple ways.

Keep only what is necessary

Zen living means removing items that are not necessary to your life. Do you really need 24 pairs of shoes or eight types of spatulas? Clearing out items that are redundant clears space in both your living area and your mind. As organization author and expert Marie Kondo says, “Keep only those items that spark joy.”

Allow space

Picture the paintings hanging in a museum and how they are spaced just so to allow each masterpiece to be admired individually. The same concept works at home. Clearing out your home allows space between items and increases your appreciation of them. Allow space between events in your busy schedule for the same appreciation.

Adopt a simple way of living

Think back when you were a child…you needed very little to survive and had much more time to play and enjoy life. Learning to live without extra clutter in your life actually frees you for larger endeavors, like volunteering, learning, exploring, and time with family and friends. You no longer have to spend time cleaning, sorting or wading through items to get what you need.

Live mindfully

Do all things deliberately and focus all your attention on the task at hand. You will find it takes on a zen-like quality. Savor the feel of the water in the morning’s shower, and the first taste of coffee rather than rush through them. These are the little experiences that make up life.

Don’t multi-task

You might be proud that you can answer the phone, cook dinner and help with the child’s homework all at the same time, however, living mindfully also means doing one thing at a time. Focus your attention on doing the best job at the task at hand before moving on to the next one. Create a sacred space for each thing you do, whether you are working, cleaning or simply relaxing.

Do less

Regardless of what the commercials say, you don’t have to do it all or have it all, and task lists as long as your arm only set your day off with stress. Think about your main goal for the day and set off mindfully to achieve it.

Meditate

The benefits of mindfulness and meditation can actually change your brain, reported Sara Lazar, a neuroscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She goes on to report evidence that meditation decreases stress, depression, anxiety, insomnia and pain, and actually increases the quality of life.

Be grateful

Oprah Winfrey has always been a huge advocate of keeping a gratitude journal, every day writing down five things she is grateful for. She says, “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”

123JUNK Can Help You Clear Out Extra Stuff

At 123JUNK, we take the zen-like philosophy to heart, and strive to streamline our own business; for example, going paperless allowed us to cut down on clutter. This allows us to focus on what’s really important to our business: our customers.

In this age of consumerism, we are all guilty of having too much in our lives—too much work, too many responsibilities, and definitely too much stuff. While 123JUNK can’t help with some of your load, we can certainly take the extra stuff off your hands. We’re experts at clearing out spaces. Contact us today to schedule your pickup appointment.

It is always difficult when a parent dies. There are feelings of great loss and sadness, and the extra emotional burden of dealing with their belongings.

At some point in their lives, children will have to deal with the responsibility of clearing out a parent’s home, and divvying up what is to be kept and distributed among family members, and what is to be disposed.

Estate Liquidation Companies

Some people look to estate liquidation companies to help. Their goal is to sell your household contents, jewelry, automobiles, recreational equipment, and even your real estate at times, into cash. Holding online and on-locations sales and auctions, they can help winnow out and appraise items that hold value and sell them for a portion of the profit.

Professional Organizing Services

When you want to handle the estate yourself, but realize you need assistance, there are professional organizing services available. Their services include establishing a plan for dealing with a parent’s belongings, inventory, overseeing packing and disbursement, facilitating sales and donations, and overseeing all of the related services including moving companies, real estate agents, junk removal companies, cleaning crews, etc.

Junk Removal Companies like 123JUNK

Handling the estate entirely by yourself is a third alternative, but even here, there are people to help, including 123JUNK. As a junk removal company, we can perform a complete clean-out of the house once you have removed items you wish to keep in the family. You don’t even have to sort items into piles for donation or disposal. Our professional, uniformed crew will carefully remove all items and haul them off the premises for you, including your indoor and outdoor items.

We then sort through your items, removing anything that can be donated to one of our charity partners or recycled, and delivering them to their appropriate destinations. We’ll provide you with photographic evidence of your donation and a receipt for your tax deduction.

Let 123JUNK Recommend the Right Service

If you need to clear out a parent’s home in Northern Virginia, Maryland or Washington, D.C., please contact 123JUNK, where someone always answers the phone in person. We can recommend estate liquidation companies and professional organizing services if you wish to go that route, or help you handle the job yourself.

There is no easy way to deal with a parent’s death, or their estate, but it is an inevitability we all must face. We just hope we can make it a little bit easier.