Helping clients to become more organized can take many
forms, depending on the client, the nature of their problems, and how they
previously organized their stuff and their time. What I tend to witness is the time lost and
sheer frustration that clients experience looking for cell phones, wallets and
keys. Often, cell phones become used as
a “second brain” assisting people to maintain a schedule and make appointments
(calendar), remember things (task lists), have access to support systems
(contacts, calls, text, email), and negotiate their environment (maps and
GPS). If this gadget is so important, it
is even more important that people know where it is. Having a catch tray by the front door, in
their room, or a standard docking station can be helpful. Wallets and keys should also be left in a
consistent location. I am sure we can
all relate to that feeling of looking for our keys in their usual spot to find
they are missing. But if you lack the
ability to efficiently look for these, or the energy, it could completely
derail your plans. After the day to day
items have a place, then as a therapist we can work with our clients to
simplify other spaces that are barriers to function. Perhaps the kitchen has become too cluttered
to allow for efficient meal preparation, or the bills are piling up because
these become forgotten in a stack of papers.
In the world of insurance I find that clients become overwhelmed by the
paperwork and this results in them missing appointments, not responding to time
sensitive material, or failing to submit for expense reimbursement. Slowly, over time and with suggestions and
tools (filing cabinets, labels, folders) clients will be able to more
efficiently spend their units of energy on things that are more important, or
more fun.
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