“All frustrations are self-induced. The outside world can invite us to become upset, but we ultimately accept the invitation.” – Author Unknown

The kids are irritable. I am irritable. We have been in the house for too long, the house is cluttered, the kids don’t feel the best. R has a sore ear, A is overwhelmed. And I am losing patience at an increasingly steady pace. My sister suggested I make a post about the frustrations and a self challenge, which I think is a good idea. Here are some of the triggers that I am going to be tackling.

1) Clutter!

I know part of my frustration is just the clutter which means I need to seriously declutter so there isn’t so much stuff gathering everywhere making me feel claustrophobic.

2) Cabin fever

I also know part of the reason I’m irritable is just that we haven’t left the house in over a week. Seriously. I haven’t even checked the mail!

3) TV/Media

Too much screen time irritates all of us as well. I notice when we have the tv on too much or I’m checking my phone too much we are all much more snappy. The boys argue more and I fuss more.

So I am going to challenge myself to declutter problem areas. The tv, built-ins, buffet and school bookcase come to mind. I am going to try and get out of the house. Go visit my sister or hit the library, maybe, plus just getting the kids back outside to play now that it isn’t raining. And lastly, I think I’m going to unplug for a full 24hrs. No FB, no instagram, no twitter, no setting the kids in front of Barney for a moment of peace (not that I think doing that is the end of the world, but hey, 24hrs is 24hrs).

Be sure to check back in on Saturday for the results and share your favorite ways to cut down on frustrations in the comments.