Living With Chronic Disorganization

Do you have chronic disorganization?

We all have areas of our lives in which we’re less organized than we’d like to be. We all have interruptions to life (illness, death in the family, moving or changing jobs, etc.). These events impede our ability to be organized for a period of time. Some people, however, who suffer with chronic disorganization, face different challenges.

WHAT IS CHRONIC DISORGANIZATION?

The Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD) defines it using these three criteria:

  • Having a past history of disorganization in which self-help efforts to change have failed.

  • An undermining of your current quality of life due to disorganization.

  • An expectation of future disorganization.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE CHRONIC DISORGANIZATION?

One of the biggest signs that you have chronic disorganization is in how disorganization impacts your life.

  • Does your lack of organization impact your ability to function, at home, at work, in general?

  • Do you find yourself buying multiples of the same item “just in case”?

  • Are you overwhelmed by the clutter in your home or suffer from depression or anxiety because of your lack of organization?

  • Do you avoid having people over to your home?

  • Have you tried a number of times to get more organized but fail?

If you struggle with organization or feel organization has been a lifelong struggle for you, you may have chronic disorganization.

GETTING HELP 

People with chronic disorganization have often tried multiple times to be more organized. They may feel like there is simply no hope. Organizing Maniacs specializes in working with people who suffer from disorders that impact their ability to organize. This includes disorders such as ADHD, hoarding, and chronic disorganization. We know that success comes from taking a personalized approach. Work with your own organizational structure, and develop methods and tools that work for you. It’s not about forcing you into some method that will never last. Find an organizational system and strategies that work with your way of thinking. Don’t try to force yourself into a color-coded standard way of organizing. Many times, we are told to change everything about ourselves to see improvement. What works better, however, is working with your brain and with your learning style, rather than against it.

If you’re ready to have a home you love to live in (and the ability to stop buying 10 of each item just in case it gets lost), give us a call.

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