Organize + Energize: Overwhelmed? You’re Not Alone

Tuesday, November 01, 2016

Kristin MacRae, GoLocalProv Organizing Expert

I speak to many people when I’m out presenting and they all have something in common. They’re all overwhelmed. You want to get organized, but just the thought of tackling an entire room makes you stressed and anxious. You would rather be doing anything else at that moment. You continue to make piles and ignore the chaos because it’s easier to function that way instead of actually tackling it. 

This feeling of overwhelm spills over to other areas of your life because the visual and mental clutter will stick with you. It’s a distraction and nothing gets done because you can’t seem to stay focused. We all know what happens when we’re distracted: We decrease our productivity.  Disorganization causes one big snowball effect.  It’s no wonder people are overwhelmed.

When people are overwhelmed they tend to waste energy. They get stuck and get busy but not productive. Take a minute to step away from the situation and breathe. Before you start bouncing around your home or office, take a minute to empty your mind. Plan your next move and waste less energy.

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How do you get rid of this feeling of overwhelm? You have to start with small projects. If your entire home or office is disorganized, you can’t think about the whole picture. You have to break the project down into small pieces. Take a look at your disorganized spaces. Write down all the areas you want to tackle and then break them down into even smaller areas.  

How long should you spend on a project?

Limit your project to 3 hours. Any longer than 3 hours and you’ll become overwhelmed, stressed, hungry, mentally drained and lose focus.  Start fresh the next day or take a break and come back to it later in the day.  You’ll have a better outlook and will be refreshed and your mind will be clear to think about developing your organizing systems. 

Working with your hands for just a short while will help clear mental clutter. What are you waiting for? Make a plan to tackle one area this week. Make a mental note of how you feel when you’re done. Make it a priority. If your project isn’t a priority, it’s never going to get done. 

Being organized is something we can control. There are so many other outside forces that cause overwhelm and stress in our lives. Get this under control and let disorganization be one less thing that adds to your stress. 

Kristin Carcieri-MacRae, is an organizing & efficiency expert and owner of Organizing in RI. Kristin teaches her clients that living an organized lifestyle will save them time and money, decrease their stress levels and help them become more efficient and productive. Her articles have been published in local and national magazines. Kristin's CD, Organizing Basics, is a 1-hour guide for the person who wants to get organized but doesn't know where to begin. She is also available for organizing workshops.

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