This podcast episode discusses strategies for living with multiple generations of people with ADHD, the importance of decluttering while juggling work and parenting, managing clutter thresholds for individuals with ADHD, coping with autoimmune disease and meeting expectations, and finding support in an online community.
In a multigenerational home, think of yourself as a manager and establish a clutter threshold for shared spaces.
Embracing the container concept and viewing your home as a defined space can bring emotional relief and ease.
Deep dives
Managing Clutter Thresholds in a Multigenerational Home
In this podcast episode, the speaker has a conversation with a guest named Tamara, who is naturally organized but lives with family members who struggle to keep things under control. They discuss the importance of finding solutions that work for everyone in a multigenerational home. The speaker suggests thinking of oneself as a manager rather than an organizer and determining the lowest common clutter threshold for shared spaces. The emphasis is on setting up systems and involving family members in the process so that everyone can contribute and maintain the organization.
Embracing the Container Concept for Organization
Tamara shares her personal journey of embracing the container concept and how it has transformed her approach to organizing. She acknowledges that having less stuff has made her life easier, and she has learned to view her home as a container. By accepting that everything should have its place within the defined space, she has been able to let go of unnecessary items and make better decisions about what to keep. This shift in mindset has brought her a sense of emotional relief and psychological ease.
Fitting Decluttering into Daily Life
The speaker provides tips for incorporating decluttering into daily routines and responsibilities. She suggests breaking decluttering into small tasks and celebrating even partial progress. The key is finding those awkward pauses or short time slots between activities to focus on decluttering. By being intentional and prioritizing decluttering even in small doses, it is possible to make consistent progress without feeling overwhelmed.
Dealing with Chronic Health Issues and Decluttering Struggles
Tamara discusses her experience with an autoimmune disease and how it has affected her ability to declutter and manage her home. The speaker emphasizes the importance of accepting one's limitations and adjusting expectations. She encourages being ruthless with decluttering and eliminating unnecessary items to make life easier, while also acknowledging the emotional difficulty of letting go. The focus is on finding ways to work within the current reality and conserving physical and mental energy for more essential tasks.
This was a fun conversation! Tamara has made so much progress, but now she’s having to adjust everything after a big move and lots of challenges. We discussed: learning to live with 3 generations of people with ADHD when you are not one of them. decluttering while doing all the other stuff (working, parenting, volunteering, […]