Visual Overwhelm: Eating an Elephant One Bite at a Time

When entering a room or space in your home, do you ever hear yourself thinking (or even saying out loud) any of the following:

• Every time I walk into this room, it brings me anxiety.

• I just can’t figure out where to start.

• Just the sight of this stuff stresses me out.

• It’s all just so overwhelming.

These are the exact phrases I hear from my clients when I walk into their spaces for the first time. The expressions on their faces display exhaustion, guilt, and shame followed by the question, “So, am I a hoarder?!” My answer is always, “No! Absolutely not!” I can sincerely tell they are just visually overwhelmed, and the sight of the disorganization is simply sending them into overload.

Some of the most common underlying causes of visual overwhelm are:

• major life changes

• many life changes at the same time

• family health concerns

• juggling many responsibilities/tasks

• work stress

• family stress

• new job or position at work

• moving or downsizing to a new home

• death of a loved one

When the visual overwhelm settles in, it creates additional:

• anxiety

• stress

• difficulty focusing

• feelings of overwhelm

• irritability

• restlessness

When not dealt with, this launches a vicious cycle. Stress leads to clutter, clutter leads to overwhelm, overwhelm leads to a mental sense of paralyzation, which then replaces clarity and focus. As this cycle continues, guilt hovers around making you feel like you’re not good enough to manage everything yourself. And guess what that leads to? More stress!

These feelings are actually a lot more common than people realize. I find people don’t give themselves enough grace for all the things they are trying to juggle. They just need a plan or a little help.

And that’s where I come in! So let’s all take a deep breath together…

…and I’ll give you a couple plans to help you begin to tackle your visual overwhelm.

First and foremost, it’s important to know and understand you’re not alone. Next, acknowledge that your feelings are valid! Finally, start with a plan that helps break the organizing process down into bite-sized pieces — trusting that each will bring transformation and relief.

PLAN 1

Dedicate some uninterrupted time to tackle the organizing project in smaller, bite-sized steps at your preferred pace.

Feel free to use this DIY quick guide and checklist, Organize Without Overwhelm, to get you on the right track.

This plan is great for anyone who is a strong self-starter, has more time in their schedule, or isn’t yet aggressively stressed out or overwhelmed.

PLAN 2

Ask for help from a friend or professional so you can quickly get back on your feet and functioning well.

This plan is great for anyone who is ready to delegate the task, wants the project accomplished quickly, and is aggressively stressed out or overwhelmed.

There are a number of other resources sprinkled throughout this blog/website, so please feel free to browse around and use what you find useful. No matter where you decide to start, my wish for you is to experience less overwhelm and more joy. If there's anything else I can do to help, please don't hesitate to reach out! Text me at 409-203-8188 or email me at kerri@perfectpieceorganizing.com.