Chronically Disorganized? Read This.
by Denetra Gary
We often think of disorganization and chaos in a spatial sense – a disorderly house, messy desk, and cluttered room – but physical disorganization is only the result of mental chaos. I often tell my clients, “if you have junk drawers in your house, then you have junk drawers in your heart.” Why would anyone want junk, junk food, or junk drawers? The reason is, settling for junk is often a result of unresolved emotional clutter.
Unresolved clutter or baggage in our heart (i.e. the mind) can descend into disarray and eventually manifest physically, with untold consequences to our mental health if left unchecked. As pain accumulates, it can spill out into our personal relationships, work habits, and physical space. But how do we resolve emotional clutter? Even if life circumstances keep us from taking the time to address deep-rooted issues, we can begin by understanding what a disorganized mind means.
What Does a ‘Disorganized Mind’ Mean and How Does it Affect Me?
Disorganized thoughts can lead to feelings of disorientation, irritability, and confusion. We might experience increased fatigue, negative thinking patterns, and an inability to cope with stress or anxiety as a result.
This is a struggle that many women suffer from due to the high demands of life. When our to-do lists seem endless, it's easy to shut down and check out. We feel emotionally out of control and thus unable to keep the world around us in control. As a result, we often find ourselves living in and with clutter and chaos.
Why Do I Need Organization?
Life without physical structure and order can add to feelings of depression, and emotional and cognitive depletion. This in turn affects our anxiety levels, sleep, ability to focus, and productivity. Clutter can also trigger copious amounts of junky habits (i.e. junk food, junk TV, junk drawers, etc.). These habits make it even harder to take charge of our disorganized state. It’s time to stop the spiral, get to the root of cluttered chaos, and take steps toward healing.
Steps to Change
There are practical steps you can take to get your mind in order, but ultimately, a truly healed and organized mind can only come from God. Since God is our creator he alone needs to be our recreator. The first step is to ask God these questions:
1. Why am I disorganized?
2. Lord, is there anything in me that you want to change?
3. Where do you want me to start?
Asking God why you struggle with disorganization can help you start untangling the root of the matter. Perhaps you lived a childhood with no structure, maybe you weren’t taught how to maintain your space, or maybe you developed a disdain for orderliness because there was too much pressure as a child. One must start to peel back the layers and understand the motives behind the thoughts and feelings. These motives drive our actions and reactions. As we enter into the process of peeling back the layers and discovering the root cause of the chaos, practical steps are also necessary to clear the mental clutter.
Journaling:
Keeping a journal can give your mind the structure it needs to remain manageable and organized.
Prayer:
Prayer is the pathway to peace. It heals the mind and reconnects us to God. Studies show that just 12 minutes of prayer a day can have a significant impact on the mind.
Create Routines:
A lack of routine can lead to scattered thoughts. Routines free up that brainpower wasted on decision-making and provide a clear blueprint for how each day should flow.
Lifestyle and Nutrition:
What you eat, watch, where you go, and who you interact with can lead to a state of mental clutter and chaos if these choices aren’t healthy. For example, regular sugar overloads or TV-inspired adrenaline rushes can make it hard to get the rest and focus we need...
The mind is a powerful tool that needs regular care and tending to maintain focus, balance, and clarity. This is something God helps us with. Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
Though unpacking and healing from an emotionally chaotic life can be daunting, we don’t have to bear the burden of unpacking our cluttered chaos alone. God walks with us on our healing journey, carrying our emotional burdens and, step by step, enabling us to deal with both the mental and physical clutter that surround us. One surface at a time. One prayer at a time.
DENETRA GARY
Denetra Gary is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the Founder of Complement and Complete with specialty experience in mental health. Her therapeutic focus and mission are to restore the entire family unit, and her goal in initiating this change is to start with women by helping them to overcome anxiety, depression, and chronic disorganization.Connect with Denetra on Facebook and Instagram.
