Sometimes life just gets overwhelming — curve balls get thrown at us, placing demands on our time and energy that prevent us from keeping an organized home. When that happens the clutter and disorganization increase stress, decrease energy and generally put us in a bad mood. This was the situation that led Annie to call me.
Clutter Adds to Stress Levels
Annie and her husband had lived in their home for a year or so when we met. Her mother, suffering from Lewy Body Dementia and bipolar tendencies, lived with them and they took turns as her caregivers while continuing to work full time jobs. Mother and daughter used to be best friends; now Mom is mean and hateful. Annie used to be very organized (she alphabetized her socks by color!); now she felt this perfectionism was holding her back from attempting any sense of order in her home.
The intensity of caring for a patient with dementia, the grief of losing more of her mother every day and the unsettled feeling in their messy home led both Annie and her husband to become depressed and anxious.
A Strategy Plan Reduces Your Overwhelm
In our “Launch Your Vision” session Annie gave me a tour of her home and shared her vision for decorating and using each room. Annie’s budget for paid assistance was tight so we established her priorities, separating the tasks into things she could do on her own versus what would be better managed with me on hand. We set a date for a four-hour session in her garage.
Declutter and Organize
The garage is over-sized and partially climate-controlled. Annie wanted to create a crafting space where she could escape the stress of caregiving and nurture her creative side. Together we sorted box after box after box and emptied two large shelving units. We organized all her craft supplies on one of the freshly emptied shelving units and arranged books on a small bookcase next to a large work table. We filled one storage tub with keepsakes and designated a few tubs for Christmas decorations. At the end of the session I drove away in a van FULL of items Annie had chosen to donate!
Feel Energized
It’s important that the organizational systems you put in place function well when put to the test of day-to-day life. It was thrilling to hear happy news when I talked to Annie a few weeks after our work together! Not only was she able to maintain the craft organization we created, she had been motivated to begin organizing other areas of her home.
Best of all, her mental and emotional health were better and her stress level was down. She loves going to her private space to escape for a bit of crafting. This energizes her and refreshes her to be a better caregiver to her mother. Annie told me, “You helped me more than you know. Not just the physical help — you helped me get emotionally stabilized.”
There’s no shame in needing some help with home organization. Sometimes just one tiny boost from a pal can turn your life around!
Let’s talk about what is weighing you down or holding you back from creating the home you want. Schedule your FREE “Hope Starts Here” Discovery Phone Call to get started today.