“Filing by piling”- my MO forever. To a certain extent it works- it’s visible, sorted (mostly) and accessible. But left untouched it becomes unwieldy and scary. Then- decision time- hide it in a paper grocery bag until it’s so old it’s less dangerous? That risks missing the really necessary tax bill - which I know I should have dealt with but that was hard too!
Thank you for addressing the emotional roller coaster ADHD can drive.
I’ve recently learned there are good professional organizers who focus on the emotional/organizational intersection of the ADHD brain and are great at untangling it so that decluttering is achievable. Such a gift!
Www.napo.net- plug in ADHD in search option. I also like Ingrid and Lesley of The Declutter Hub. They are excellent (imo) at deciphering the emotions and how to manage them. I feel you on the shame. It’s a burden!
Clear space in a drawer and hide it. You'll probably never need it.Shame is useless, and besides: are you experiencing shame over the clutter or over being overwhelmed by it. If the latter the hiding solution will solve your problem.
Great description! I have been struggling with it forever. For most of my life I could ,and did and had to, delegate all organization to others. Nannies, housekeepers, secretaries, and others and things worked out overall because I could keep hunting; quite literally as I was a solo civil rights trial lawyer. I am 78 now and writing about the growing turmoil ADHD, my superpower, brings to the aging process. I could raise four kids solo, try cases solo, and more while I had my delegate support system. Now, with none of that demanding my time and attention and without anyone to delegate to, I am struggling every day to figure out which is complicating and cluttering my life...ADHD or Age. Your identifying "tossing" hit home. I declutter and frequently end up cluttering!
What annoys me is that if I "tidy" files, or a drawer or something, so at the moment of tidying it all seems logically organized, I then can't find the stuff I tidied. But a frightful looking pile is easy for me to pluck what I need from.
“Filing by piling”- my MO forever. To a certain extent it works- it’s visible, sorted (mostly) and accessible. But left untouched it becomes unwieldy and scary. Then- decision time- hide it in a paper grocery bag until it’s so old it’s less dangerous? That risks missing the really necessary tax bill - which I know I should have dealt with but that was hard too!
Thank you for addressing the emotional roller coaster ADHD can drive.
I’ve recently learned there are good professional organizers who focus on the emotional/organizational intersection of the ADHD brain and are great at untangling it so that decluttering is achievable. Such a gift!
Where do you find these organizers?
Www.napo.net- plug in ADHD in search option. I also like Ingrid and Lesley of The Declutter Hub. They are excellent (imo) at deciphering the emotions and how to manage them. I feel you on the shame. It’s a burden!
I cannot tell you how much shame I experience when overwhelmed by clutter.
Clear space in a drawer and hide it. You'll probably never need it.Shame is useless, and besides: are you experiencing shame over the clutter or over being overwhelmed by it. If the latter the hiding solution will solve your problem.
Great description! I have been struggling with it forever. For most of my life I could ,and did and had to, delegate all organization to others. Nannies, housekeepers, secretaries, and others and things worked out overall because I could keep hunting; quite literally as I was a solo civil rights trial lawyer. I am 78 now and writing about the growing turmoil ADHD, my superpower, brings to the aging process. I could raise four kids solo, try cases solo, and more while I had my delegate support system. Now, with none of that demanding my time and attention and without anyone to delegate to, I am struggling every day to figure out which is complicating and cluttering my life...ADHD or Age. Your identifying "tossing" hit home. I declutter and frequently end up cluttering!
What annoys me is that if I "tidy" files, or a drawer or something, so at the moment of tidying it all seems logically organized, I then can't find the stuff I tidied. But a frightful looking pile is easy for me to pluck what I need from.