My poor efforts at tidying creates hours of frustration.

As my memory and attention span have been affected by my brain injury, I can’t remember where I put things. If they went back in their usual “home”, then that’s fine. But if not, they might be lost forever.

So here’s 4  tips on how to avoid this happening to you. 

1. Commit to the job

   If you’re not in the right mood, you probably won’t be able to complete the task. So make sure you’re ready to commit.

2. Throw away rubbish first

   We can become easily distracted by items. Thinking about where they came from, or what you last used it for. Next thing you know you’re off in your own world and not concentrating. Just find things you know that need to be thrown away, and if you’re not sure leave it for now and move on.

3. Tidy by categories, not by room

   I know it sounds crazy, but this way you are helping your mind to focus more. Whether it’s collecting all the kids toys, or going through clothes, you can make sure you see the bigger picture of this category. Rather than just seeing a messy or tidy room, your thinking more about each items purpose.

4. How does it make you feel?

   So those items that you weren’t sure if you wanted the keep or not, what do we do with them? If it’s documents you probably should let someone else help you decide. (I say this because I throw away letters I should keep, but you might be OK at this) Otherwise think about if you want it, if you don’t need it. It’s about what you want to keep, not what you want to get rid of. Some things might be sentimental, but useless. So these can be packed away to make sure they are kept nicely, but you don’t need them out as they’re not used often.