Overwhelmed with mail? Sign up for the National Do Not Mail List

I spend a lot of time helping clients sort through piles of junk mail: magazines, catalogs, coupons, flyers, brochures, postcards.  It's endless. Junk mail can eat up the flat surfaces of your space (kitchen and dining room tables, desk, coffee and side tables) and drain your sense of peace and calm.  Many people feel they need to hang on to junk mail as a reminder to get more information or complete a chore.  "I really do need to get the windows cleaned.  I'll hang on to this flyer about this window cleaning promotion."  "Oh, 20% at Bed, Bath and Beyond.  I'll hold on to this in case I need to go there."  "I know Nick and Jessica broke up but I really need to catch up on their wedding. I'm hanging on this People magazine from 2002."  

I would recommend if you receive an advertisement or coupon about a service that you're interested in, write down the important information on a To Do list and throw the flyer into your recycle bin!  Having information related to chores and tasks on one To Do list prevents the build up of multiple pieces of papers.  Also, you increase the likelihood of following through on completing a task when you have one place to easily refer back to for information.  

For coupons, I have a folder in my filing cabinet labeled "Shopping, Gift Cards and Coupons."  If I get a coupon or promotion in the mail that I'd like to use,   I write it down on my To Do list (Buy new shower liner at Bed, Bath and Beyond, use 20% coupon, expires 7/6).  I store current coupons in the folder and when I'm ready for a shopping trip, I go through that folder to collect any coupons and toss any coupons that might have expired. 

Information, including coupons, promotions and discounts, has a way of coming back into our lives when we're ready for it. I promise you'll live to see another jeans promotion from the Gap or another dry cleaning coupon.  

If you're overwhelmed by mail, you can sign up for the National Do Not Mail List.  DirectMail.com offers this service and provides great information in its Frequently Asked Questions section of its site. 

For some inspiration, check out the Do Not Mail Campaign  to learn more about the toll junk mail has on our environment and energy resources.  Here are two facts that Do Not Mail lists on its site:

• Approximately 44% of junk mail goes to landfills unopened¹³
• By the year 2010, almost 50% of the solid mass that makes up our landfills is expected to be paper and paperboard waste¹⁴

• ¹³41pounds.org: http://41pounds.org/impact/
  ¹⁴Native Forest Network, http://www.nativeforest.org/stop_junk_mail/nfn_junk_mail_guide.htm.

Yikes!