Have you heard the term situational disorganization? What is it and how does it happen?
Situational disorganization is when an event occurs that we cannot control and we are not prepared for, causing our organizational systems to fall apart.
The cause can be as simple as returning from vacation to find that there is a flood in the basement. Everything needs to be moved or thrown out; the space needs to be repaired and workers are coming in and out. In the meantime, everything gets out of control. Sometimes a second crisis will come up, an illness, an elderly parent gets sick or needs to move…something that needs your immediate and ongoing attention. It becomes more than you can handle. Priorities need to be reassessed and action taken on the priorities. Sometimes your organization falls to the bottom of the priority list. Situational disorganization.
People will often blame themselves. They feel that they should be able to maintain their systems. Since it is situational, it is temporary. When the issue is resolved, it will be time gather your resources and get reorganized.
I have experienced this so many times, personally and with my clients. When my mother-in-law downsized at the same time I was moving, I ended up with a 20×17’ room full of furniture. I could have opened a store. It took a couple of months to sort through and decide what we were going to keep, sell and donate. Then we had to assign homes for what we were keeping. Situational disorganization.
When I broke my wrist earlier this year, I had limited use of my right hand and could not put things away. I would put items on a table, and as my mobility improved, I would put them away. This went on for about three weeks and there was a lot to put away. Situational disorganization.
Other causes of situational disorganization that I have seen are: a client being treated for cancer while undergoing a home renovation; people blending households; a business taking off before the owners were ready; a caretaker prioritizing a parent’s health, resulting in bags and bags of paper after five years of caregiving; a divorce resulting in depression and an inability to manage the home; and accidents leaving people physically unable to deal with day-to-day activities for a period of time.
This may be you. If it is…know and plan that when you get through the crises that led you here, you will get back to your familiar, organized world!
About the Author
My house and especially my wardrobe is a real mess. I am going to move to another apartment and I should declutter my rooms. Thank you for the interesting article! Regards!
Before I sold my house I decluttered every single room and you can’t imagine how many useless stuff I found. I made a garage sale and I sold most of them. I think that the garage sale is a pretty cool way to get rid of some useless stuff.