Clutter.. Friend for 33 years, now a Foe.

Growing up a kid, this resembled my room on a GOOD day ater cleaning.





I remember once I was to take home the pet gerbil for the weekend, who escaped and because my closet was so damn cluttered, he was never to be found again, till 1 year later.. No joke. In fact if my room looked like this, I think my mom would be stoked. I remember my closet was always pouring out of the seems with clothes, and I never really cared because I felt comfortable, and never understood why. When things were neat and tidy, it made me uncomfortable and I felt alone. I use to sleep with at least 15 stuffed animals on my bed, in fact often I would lose my cat in my closet. Again no joke.

Fast forward to college (it's college, who is clean in college?) and than my first marriage. He was never around, so I was free to live in clutter all I wanted and I LOVED it. Every time I cleaned up, my sister and mom would always comment about my house and how I thought it was clean and it wasn't. Fast forward to my second marriage he ALWAYS yelled at me for picking my shit up, and always thought our house was so stale and plain. I hated how he never would put up anything sentimental or touching in the house, me I was brimming at the seams to make the house a home.

And here we are now.. Present time. I got diagnosed with ADHD this week, and the world has become an open book to me. I have been reading and researching on what ADHD (severe as I am) traits look like and suddenly my traits and life, things I always wanted to control but cant are starting to make sense.

Take my office life for example, every time I try and clean it, everyone always says it looks cluttered....



No joke during my busy time, this is usually what my office looked like, but I can tell you I knew 100% where everything was at. HOWEVER in learning this week, I realize (as my boss has been saying) that EVERYTHING I do effects who I am at work. So today, as much as it hurt and created anxiety, I am taking home any knickknacks or objects not related, I cleaned out my keyboard for the first time in 7 years (no joke) and got anything not work related put away.... It was hard at first, but honestly, the anxiety subsided and I feel this weird sense of calm and open space. It's weird.  I cant even tell you how many times people have yelled at me for the following....

Want to know what it feels like to be in a mind of a person of ADHD? Read on.

Adult ADHD and Clutter:Tips to Conquer
Posted In: Health & Wellness : 1/30/2012
Author: Shannon Miller Lifestyle

Clutter and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)! Two words that do not really pair well together.

Life is so busy and many things often just can’t get done, and before you know it you have clutter throughout.
“The problem is that internal mental clutter becomes external physical clutter,” explains Jane Massengill, LCSW, a certified master ADHD coach in Danville, Calif. “Adults with ADHD need to learn how get out of their heads and focus on the here and now.”

So how do you deal with clutter especially if you have ADHD? Let’s take a look a some ways that can help.

Chore Chaos – When you have ADHD, the solution to successfully accomplishing these tasks is a combination of a day planner, calendar, sticky notes, and notes to self. Write down and schedule each errand or chore for a specific time period during your day.

Laundry Labors- Wet laundry left in the washing machine, or loads of dry clothes that need to be folded…sound familiar?” The solution is to finish what you start before going on to something else,” Massengill says. “Place your attention in the present time and break down your day into small one-thing-at-a-time bites.”

Cooking Calamities – Have you ever put a pot on the stove and left really quick to go do something else and then you smell that burning pot? Focus on one thing at a time. Practicing time management strategies can help you overcome these ADHA symptoms and keep you focused. “Every adult with ADHD can benefit from setting a time limit for a task,” advises Massengill. If you want to take 10
minutes for an e-mail or phone call, set a timer.

Cleaning up the house clutter – “It can help to think of attention like a flashlight beam, and bring that beam into focus on the task at hand,” cites Massengill. Figure out how long your house cleaning takes, plan for that amount of time, and then focus on it until you’re finished.

Streamlined Shopping - Have you ever come home with things you don’t really need? Adding to your clutter, and then have to go back to the store for the one thing you went shopping for in the first place? Try this ADHD tip to shop successfully: Make a list before you go, take cash only, bring a calculator so you can keep a running total, and stay out of stores where you tend to spend extra money.

Digging out your desk – ADHD disorganization can lead to a cluttered desk. “Think color coding,” Massengill suggests. “You need to develop a basic organizational system. If not color coding, try big bins to separate and conquer paperwork.”

Cluttered mind - “When your head starts to feel fuzzy, you are probably in the future or the past and not the present,” Massengill says. “When that happens, it’s time to slow down, take some deep breaths, and focus. You need to decide what to keep and what to let go of inside your mind and outside in the world around you. Clutter is physical and mental. Take care of the mental, and the physical will follow.”