With the stress being the number one health crisis of our time, it’s a no wonder that it’s growing.

We have become such a busy society/family running from one activity to another.  Never having down time as a family.  Kids are involved in a multitude of activities and sports.  Parents are serving on multiple non-profit boards, working overtime and trying to make ends meet.

We don’t have time to cook (from scratch) healthy meals so we do a lot of prepackaged, processed, or take out foods.  Only to feel the ill health in our bodies.

We are so busy that we don’t have time to tend to our homes and maintain them as we should.  I explain to my clients that live in clutter (and some in dirty clutter) that there is a reality to life and that is we ALL have to do chores … even if we don’t like them.  We all have to dust, vacuum, clean the bathroom, do the laundry and grocery shop.  Some of us can be blessed to be able to hire someone for those chores.  But many cannot.  So if they don’t make it a priority to do on their own, dust bunnies and dirt will continue to grow only to make your environment unhealthy.

Another area that gets avoided is the periodic pairing down of belongings.  The second thing I tell clients is that it is unreasonable to think we can year after year bring items into our homes but not take any out.  Eventually, we will outgrow our homes.  I see this in the homes of many of my clients.

Then of course the clutter is so overwhelming that the motivation to begin is very hard.  They don’t know how to start or even where to begin.  Many times they begin to pile guilt and condemnation on themselves … and that is never good.

Are you living amongst clutter and have reached your end?

Are you not sure how to move out of the bondage you are in with your space?

Are you wondering how you got into this mess?

Well there are basically two reasons why people have created an environment of clutter.

#1 is Situational

#2 is Chronic

What’s the difference?

Situational Disorganization are circumstances that have taken over your life and your home.  They can be the illness of a family member, new baby, divorce, new job, and/or relocation just to name a few.

Chronic Disorganization is where you neglect the maintenance of your belongings.  You are continually bringing items in but never removing any, etc.  You have no systems in place to keep your items organized AND you don’t put things away when you are done with them.

So where do you fall into?  Knowing will help you see the issue at hand, get the big picture and perhaps begin to get a system in place to resolve your clutter.

Below are lists of questions to answer to see where you might fall into … Situational Disorganization or Chronic Disorganization.

Situational Disorganization

1. Has there been a death in your family recently – within the past year?
2. Have your parents downsized or passed away and you felt compelled to take their household items even though you don’t have room for them?
3. Did you just give birth to a child or adopt one?
4. Are one of your child sick with a life-threatening illness?
5. Do you have a child with a learning disability, and it consumes much family time?
6. Have you become a caregiver for one or both of your parents and you either moved them into your home or have to spend much time at theirs?
7. Have you recently gone through a divorce?
8. Have you recently moved into a new home and can’t find the time to fully unpack?
9. Have you recently started a new job?
10. Has your spouse recently started a new job and had to relocate and you are left with packing up your current house?
11. Have you recently lost a job?
12. Has your company told you that you must now work from home?

If you answered yes to 1 or more of these questions, then your disorganization is most likely Situational.

Chronic Disorganization

1. Has disorganization been an issue all of your life?
2. Did you grow up in a home that was cluttered and disorganized?
3. Does the disorganization and clutter affect your daily life (ie you feel guilty, stressed, overwhelmed, agitated)?
4. Do you purchase organizing books but either do not read them or read them but don’t implement what is recommended?
5. Are you on “paper overload”?
6. Do you feel you can’t file your papers because “out of sight, out of mind?”
7. Do you collect an abundant number of articles, clippings from newspapers and magazines?
8. Do you struggle with finding important papers? Does it take longer than 5 minutes to find them?
9. Do you struggle finding papers with your current filing system or do you not even have one?
10. Is it hard for you to let go of items even if they are broken, you don’t need them or even use them?
11. Do you consider yourself a “collector” or “packrat?
12. Do you collect items that are beyond what you can use or have the pleasure of?
13. Do you have a number of “unfinished” projects?
14. Are you a shopaholic?
15. Are you embarrassed by your clutter and disorganization?
16. Do you not invite family and friends over to your home because of the clutter and disorganization?
17. Do you not pay your bills on time?
18. Do you lose track of time?
19. Are you easily distracted, and have you been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD?
20. Is your desk, countertops, dressers (any flat surface) covered in piles of papers or items? When company is coming, you tend to just put in a box to only forget about later?

If you answered yes to more than 3 of these questions, you are probably Chronically Disorganized.  There are different levels of Chronic Disorganization and they can be from minor to extreme.

But don’t worry.  There is help.  The skill of organization can be taught and passed on. You just need to be willing and open.  You have to had reached your end point and made the decision that you don’t want to live this way any longer.

As a Health, Wellness & Organizational Coach, I can help you meet your desired organizational goals.  No matter if you are local or across the nation.  Be on the lookout this Spring as I will introduce a Product for you to tackle this issue in your home and even help you get to the root.

So say no more to the clutter in your life and begin living a life of peace, rest and confidence.  I’m here to help.

 

Your Health, Wellness & Organizing Expert …. Believing in You!