My clients are diverse and so are their needs. They include busy professionals, stay-at-home parents, downsizing senior citizens, artists, entrepreneurs, and college students. Many have ADHD, or suspect they have it. Some are already fairly well organized and others struggle with compulsive hoarding and cluttering. Although their lives may be very different, my clients all come to me feeling distressed and overwhelmed by a lack of organization in their homes, workplaces, or both.
They are:
- Tired of struggling to do routine tasks
- Tired of losing things
- Tired of feeling embarrassed to have others see their space
- Tired of running late
- Tired of feeling out of control
These clients were satisfied with their level of organization until they experienced major life events that overwhelmed them. Once they lost control, their busy, hectic lives didn't allow them to get caught up.
Common causes of situational disorganization:
- new addition to the family or combining households
- new job
- relocation
- divorce
- death or illness in the family
- change in health status
- downsizing
- a growing family with constantly changing needs
- returning to school
Effects:
For individuals who are usually organized, the feeling of
being out of control is quite
stressful. They are not used to disorder and they tell me that they
just can't stand it anymore, but they feel too overwhelmed to know how
to fix it. Often the situation that caused the disorganization
is still present, making it even harder to devote time and energy to
regaining control.
How I can help: My experience as an RN gives me an understanding of the impact of major life transitions, as well as knowledge of the typical stages people go through as they respond to life events. As an organizer, I bring relief from the overwhelm by helping clients to break projects down into manageable chunks and providing direction and hands-on support.
For many of these clients, especially if their situations have stabilized, order is regained fairly quickly. In many cases, we just need a few sessions to get them back on track, and then they can finish the project on their own. On the other hand, sometimes they're so busy or exhausted by the events in their lives, that they prefer to have ongoing support in order to stay organized.
These clients have struggled with organizational issues for most of their lives. Organizing doesn't come naturally to them or they never had an opportunity to learn the skills. They may try to use organizational tools, but end up feeling perplexed by the whole process.
Like any other group of people, chronically disorganized (CD) individuals have their own unique personalities, but many share some of the following characteristics:
- creative
- wide variety of interests
- difficulty keeping track of time
- easily distracted
- able to focus intensely
- sentimental
- form strong attachments
- spontaneous
- difficulty categorizing
- difficulty seeing the big picture
- difficulty attending to small details
Effects: CD individuals often find creative ways to compensate for not being organized. Since they have never known anything different, they may not realize how much time and energy they spend on those compensations. Eventually, life catches up with them, and their ability to function effectively starts to suffer.
Once CD individuals recognize that they might benefit from better organization, they often purchase many organizing books and storage bins, yet they find they aren't able to use them successfully. This leads to feelings of failure and embarrassment, while in the meantime, the state of disorganization gets worse and quickly becomes overwhelming.
How I can Help: Most conventional organizing strategies are not helpful for CD individuals, but there are lots of unconventional strategies that do work. In order to earn my designation as a Chronic Disorganization Specialist, I had to study these strategies in depth. I use them successfully and I've also come up with strategies of my own.
CD clients can and do overcome their disorganization, but it requires a commitment to making some lifestyle changes. Ambivalence about making these changes is normal, and I can help clients to stay motivated as they learn new skills and new habits.
Compulsive
Hoarding
Individuals with hoarding tendencies experience significant distress or impaired functioning as a result of their compulsion to acquire and save possessions that others may think are useless. Living spaces are often inaccessible or unusable for their intended purpose, such as the dining room in this photo (provided courtesy of helpinghoarders.com).
Hoarding is a complex issue, often accompanied by other disorders such as depression, attention deficit or anxiety. It requires skilled and compassionate intervention. There are no "quick fixes," but it is possible to learn to manage hoarding behaviors and greatly improve quality of life.
I stay abreast of the latest research on hoarding and its treatment, and utilize that information when working with clients who hoard. If I feel the complexity of the situation warrants more expertise than I can offer, I will provide referrals to other qualified professionals.
Do you think you fit into one of the categories above? Contact me and I'd be happy to talk with you about the causes of disorganization in your life.
650-219-8753 | Contact