ADD and Paper Clutter Problems

by Elena
(Lakeville, CT)

My mother and my mother's sister both had problems with clutter, especially papers, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, mail, cards, letters, bills, old photos, everything and anything you can think of, travel brochures, recipes, postcards announcements.

I have the same problem and it gets in the way of my daily work. I get overwhelmed by receipts, notes, bills, mail, etc. I'm a writer and involved in a lot of different creative activities and I don't know how to keep things organized and don't have a lot of space for filing cabinets and storage. Help!!!

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ADD and Paper Clutter Problems

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Feb 13, 2010
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ADD and Paper Clutter
by: Tracy

Excellent question. I?m glad you asked it. There are lots of folks dealing with the same issue.

You have two hurdles...ADD and learned habits. Your grandmother and your mother lived with clutter. It?s natural that you picked up the same habits.

The fact that you asked this question is great! It means that you want to change and that is an important first step

The most important thing is the amount of time you spend sorting your paper clutter. It is unreasonable for you to aim for an entire day. You won't be able to focus that long, you?ll get overwhelmed and feel like you failed. Don't set yourself up for failure.

Here's what I suggest...

Get some boxes, baskets or bins. Whatever you have that you can use to sort your papers. Label each one..."Receipts" "Unpaid Bills" "Paid Bills" etc. You don?t have to think of every category right now. Just hit the big ones. If you find new ones along the way just add a new box.

Put the boxes someplace out of the way, but easily accessible. It is important that you use boxes or bins and not just make stacks of paper. You're going to be working little bits at a time. Stacks of paper will just get re-shuffled and you'll wind up right back where you started.

Set a timer for 5 minutes and start sorting...don't think too much. Just sort. If something stumps you, skip it and move on. Do as much as you can until the timer goes off and then stop. Walk away and do something else.

If you feel like you can do a little more after a short break, go back and set the timer again.

The theory is that you will be working in short bursts of time so you won't aggravate your ADD and you won't get overwhelmed.

Since you are sorting your papers into boxes or bins they won't get re-shuffled when you walk away. The hard work you have done will stay done until you are finished with the project.

Most importantly, you can feel good about each 5 minute burst that you do. You can feel successful instead of like a failure.

Celebrating every small success along the way will really help to make you feel good about yourself and what you are doing. This will build the motivation and the drive that you need to carry on and do more.

Once you have all of your papers sorted, you can take your organization to the next level and develop a more permanent filing system. See my tips for creating a Home Filing System for more information and ideas.

When you move on to creating your filing system, work one bin at a time and continue to use the timer, setting it for the amount of time you are comfortable with - it might still be 5 minutes or maybe you feel comfortable moving up to 10 or 15 minutes. Do what feels right for you.

It doesn't matter if it takes you a year to get organized. The important thing is that you continue to work at it and celebrate every step that gets you closer to your goal.

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Feb 13, 2010
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Submitted by: Tracy

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Excellent question. I?m glad you asked it. There are lots of folks dealing with the same issue. You have two hurdles...ADD and learned habits. Your grandmother and your mother lived with clutter. It?s natural that you picked up the same habits. The fact that you asked this question is great! It means that you want to change and that is an important first step The most important thing is the amount of time you spend sorting your paper clutter. It is unreasonable for you to aim for an entire day. You won't be able to focus that long, you?ll get overwhelmed and feel like you failed. Don't set yourself up for failure. Here's what I suggest... Get some boxes, baskets or bins. Whatever you have that you can use to sort your papers. Label each one..."Receipts" "Unpaid Bills" "Paid Bills" etc. You don?t have to think of every category right now. Just hit the big ones. If you find new ones along the way just add a new box. Put the boxes someplace out of the way, but easily accessible. It is important that you use boxes or bins and not just make stacks of paper. You're going to be working little bits at a time. Stacks of paper will just get re-shuffled and you'll wind up right back where you started. Set a timer for 5 minutes and start sorting...don't think too much. Just sort. If something stumps you, skip it and move on. Do as much as you can until the timer goes off and then stop. Walk away and do something else. If you feel like you can do a little more after a short break, go back and set the timer again. The theory is that you will be working in short bursts of time so you won't aggravate your ADD and you won't get overwhelmed. Since you are sorting your papers into boxes or bins they won't get re-shuffled when you walk away. The hard work you have done will stay done until you are finished with the project. Most importantly, you can feel good about each 5 minute burst that you do. You can feel successful instead of like a failure. Celebrating every small success along the way will really help to make you feel good about yourself and what you are doing. This will build the motivation and the drive that you need to carry on and do more. Once you have all of your papers sorted, you can take your organization to the next level and develop a more permanent filing system. See my tips for creating a <a href="http://www.tips-to-organize-life.com/home-filing-system.html">Home Filing System</a> for more information and ideas. When you move on to creating your filing system, work one bin at a time and continue to use the timer, setting it for the amount of time you are comfortable with - it might still be 5 minutes or maybe you feel comfortable moving up to 10 or 15 minutes. Do what feels right for you. It doesn't matter if it takes you a year to get organized. The important thing is that you continue to work at it and celebrate every step that gets you closer to your goal.

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Mar 01, 2010
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ADD and Paper Clutter
by: Rona

I think a vital start to getting less paper can begin with post at the mail box. Any sent out coupons, fliers, etc. that you don't use, bin them before you even come back inside.

Doing this can add up to a huge amount of paper, not being left sitting around inside to be gone through at a later date.

That alone, means a lot less stress!

Mar 04, 2010
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Great start
by: Mary

Rona's got a great point. Start thinking now about how to keep from ending up buried in paper again after doing all the work to sort it all. One helpful technique is to handle paper only once, as far as possible. If it needs to be kept, put it where you keep it while it's in your hand, or at least before you leave the office today. If it is trash, don't set it on the desk. Put a container for recycling right next to your trash and sort it as you toss. You get the idea. Ask yourself good questions like, "How can I handle paper more efficiently?" & "Do I really need to keep this?" Your subconscious will help you come up with answers that will work for you. Good luck.