Hello! If you are new here, welcome to the Clutter to Clarity Newsletter! I try to send out a newsletter each month (though it doesn’t always happen!). Sometimes I send out a newsletter filled with organizing tips on a topic of my choosing and other times I send out my mailbag issue in which I answer readers’ questions. Here are the questions that I’ll be answering today:
There is so much to do this time of year and I am completely overwhelmed. Help?!
This time of year is definitely a lot. You may be hosting holidays, traveling for holidays, have a calendar full of special holiday events and concerts, trying to figure out holiday gifts, adjusting from a fall sports schedule to a winter one, dealing with everyone getting sick, finding a pet sitter, and the list go on and on. Here are some tips from me to help make this year a little bit easier.
Tip #1 - Adjust your expectations to match your energy level. You do not have to do the same traditions that your family did when you were growing up. You do not need to do the same traditions every year. Just had a baby? Maybe you put up a tree, but skip the Christmas village. Have a toddler that doesn’t sleep well when he’s travels? Maybe you stay home this year. Love to make Christmas cookies but short on time? Reduce the types of cookies you make this year. I think a good goal is to make sure that you have energy to enjoy the activities that you choosing to do.
Tip #2 - Put your To Do’s on the calendar. I find it really helpful to put my “To Do’s” on my calendar, so I can see how they might fit with our planned activities. This is everything from making cookies, delivering cookies, shopping for gifts, mailing holiday cards, wrapping gifts, etc. Even if you are a digital calendar user, you might want to print out a monthly calendar for December so you can see a visual of the entire month at once. Sometimes looking at the bigger picture helps keep us from overscheduling ourselves.
Tip #3 - Look for ways to make things easier. With more things on this list this month, you’ll need to find a way to make a few of these items take less time so that you have time for everything. Maybe this means lots of people get the same gift this year, so there are fewer decisions to make. Maybe this means you say no to some holiday events. Maybe this means that dinners are a little simpler this month - especially right before the holiday. Maybe this means you are doing more outsourcing than usual. This could mean anything from hiring someone to wrap holiday gifts, to catering part or all of a holiday dinner, or using a laundry service during this extra busy month. For more outsourcing ideas, check out this blog post.
Tip #4 - If you are traveling during the holidays, start drafting that packing list now. Traveling this time of year can be a bit more stressful than at other times because you may be bringing gifts with you, or perhaps you need to dig out your warm-weather clothes for a tropical destination, or maybe you are meeting up with other friends and family, which seems a bit overwhelming. Start planning it out now, so it’s not something you’ll need to tackle at the last minute. I have a “master” packing list with everything possible on it (for every type of trip) so instead of creating a new list each time, I just cross off what I don’t need. To read more of my travel tips, check out this blog post.
Tip #5 - Schedule time for your favorite holiday fun. If you want to make sure you watch Home Alone with your kiddos, then put it on the calendar. Want to check out a local craft fair? Put it on the calendar. Don’t let your own holiday wishes get lost in the busyness of the season.
I keep seeing those silly videos about ADHD leashes and honestly, I think I need one! I get distracted so easily. Do you have any tips for staying on task when I am doing chores?
Yes, those leash videos are fascinating. (If you haven’t seen one, here’s a link to give you an idea of what we are talking about.). Here’s the thing. We all get distracted and if you are neurodivergent, you probably get distracted more easily than your neurotypical friends and family. Here are some tips for staying on task:
Tip #1 - Find an accountability partner.
Ask a family member to sit in the kitchen with you and help keep you on task.
Text a friend or your sister and tell her that you are about to unload the dishwasher and then text her when you are done.
Join a body doubling session to work alongside others (virtually).
Record a time-lapse video of yourself doing the task. With the video rolling, you may be more focused on staying on task.
Bring in professional help. If you are really struggling, it might be time to bring in a professional organizer like me who helps you stay on task.
Tip #2 - Try not to leave the area (hence the leash, right?).
Dishes Example: If I am going to tackle dirty dishes, I bring every single dirty dish over next to the sink. This way, once I get started, I don’t need to leave the area.
Kitchen Tidying Example: Now, if you are tidying your kitchen, you may find things that belong somewhere else in the house, and you may be tempted to go put them away as you tidy. Do not do this. I know there are some organizers who recommend putting things away as you go, but if you get easily distracted, this is not a good method for you.
Use my “bin method” to organize things for putting away later. Gather several bins. (If you don’t have bins, you can make piles, but bins are really ideal.)
Label the bins.
By person (“Mike’s stuff to be put away”)
By location (“Things that belong upstairs”)
You will need to make time later to empty those bins, but right now we are focusing on the task at hand - tidying this room.
Make a plan to empty the bins.
If you have organized bins by “person”, maybe put a reminder on your phone for everyone to empty their bin after dinner. Set a timer for 5 minutes and see who can finish first.
If you have organized your bins by “location” and you are the one who is going to empty them, put a reminder on your calendar to empty them when you think you’ll have the energy for it. In the meantime, start moving the bins toward their final destination. For example, if you have a bin that needs to be upstairs eventually, first move it near the bottom of the stairs, then later in the day, you can move it up the stairs, etc.
Bonus Tip #1: Partner these tedious tasks with something fun. Maybe you only listen to your favorite podcast or audiobook when doing the worst chores? Please note that I am not including videos/shows on this list. It has to be audio only - a visual pairing will be too distracting - you need your eyes available for your task.
Bonus Tip #2: Do you get a dopamine hit from checking something off of a list? Add this task to your list! Think about the feedback your brain needs to make this a more positive experience.
Bonus Tip #3: I know that “current me” at bedtime never wants to do the dishes, but that “future me” at 6am always appreciates coming down to a clean kitchen in the morning. I try to keep these different selves in mind when making decisions about how to spend my time.
How can I send in my own organizing question?
Easy - just respond to this email!⌨️
Thanks for reading! See you next time!
