Evan Podolak, PsyD

Evan Podolak, PsyD Dr. Podolak is a cognitive behavioral therapist specializing in the assessment and treatment of anxiety disorders.

03/12/2024

If you’re chronically disorganized, you’re probably very used to saying “I’m sorry!” And equally used to people being annoyed with you. That’s because, from the outside, the fallout from organizational difficulties can look like carelessness, laziness, even indifference. People often assume that if you just tried harder and paid attention this could all be avoided.

What they don’t see are the shame and anxiety, the frustration, embarrassment and real-world consequences that are often a daily reality when you’re disorganized: Bad grades, lost jobs, friends and family who roll their eyes at yet another flurry of apologies and what, to them, sound like more excuses.

For many people — especially those with executive functioning issues or ADHD — figuring out how to get (and stay) organized isn’t as simple as “trying harder.” It requires new strategies.

Organizational strategies are less one-size-fits all than they are what-thing-fits-you. But there are a few basics that can help:

Outsource your brain whenever you can; calendars, planners, phone reminders, helpful apps, storage solutions, a rubber band on your wrist — the options are endless.

One of the best ways to delay actually getting organized is by imagining all the ways you’ll get organized (Cute calendars! Color coding! Buying new things!) Stop. A plan without action is just procrastination by another name.

Don’t try to change everything at once. Tackling one problem at a time will help you stay focused and avoid getting overwhelmed.

Throwing yourself at a system that doesn’t work for you is a recipe for exhaustion and disaster — even if it seems like the thing that everyone uses. For example, if you’ve always had a hard time putting clothes back in your dresser, try bins instead: One for pants, one for shirts, one for underclothes and one for laundry.

If something isn’t working, let it go and find a different strategy that will. Mistakes will still happen, sneakers will still disappear when you’re running late. And that’s okay. Instead of dwelling on mistakes, focus on what you’ll do differently next time.

Getting organized is not easy but it is worth it.

Read more:
https://childmind.org/article/how-to-help-yourself-get-organized/

"Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.” —Khalil Gibran | https://new...
02/23/2024

"Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.” —Khalil Gibran | https://newoakpsychology.com

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