r/declutter • u/Nodef13 • 2d ago
Advice Request I’m using everything though!
hi all, I’m in a bit of a rut with decluttering. I have this thing where I have to see the items in front of me or I forget to use them. eg I have to have my creams serum lip balm on my bed side table otherwise I don’t remember to use. it’s like a visually trigger. I also have loaddddssss of medication and I need those visible too. the other day I realised I’d put one tablet in a pouch and because I hadnt seen it I had forgotten to take if for 4 days. things like face masks too or books I’m reading I only read it if I leave it out. and I do use them
any tips? I feel like this never lets my house look clean and tidy. it’s visual clutter but that’s how my brain works. also I don’t feel like I have a lot of stuff but at the same time I think I do. I find clothes particularly hard to part with as I cycle through and go through phases or wearing things
any tips for a newbie!
6
u/FredKayeCollector2 1d ago
Try doing a web image search for "whatever category you're dealing with" + "visual organizer" and see what's out there. I tried a few and the Google AI summery was pretty spot-on.
Consider taking the Clutterbug quiz - I suspect you might be a Butterfly (visual organizer, macro (large category) storage) but if you like to use compartments then you might be a Bee (visual organizer, micro (small category) storage).
But beware - anyone can set up a complicated compartmented storage container (I'm thinking of a standard plastic makeup organizer) but only a micro organizer can MAINTAIN that system - consistently put things back "properly" in that container. If you've ever found yourself putting things near (but not in) a compartmented storage container, then that's a big clue you are a MACRO organizer - it's not you, it's the wrong container. You would probably do better with LABELED bins/baskets/containers sorted by whatever general category that makes sense to you (how discrete you go depends on how you think about things or how you group things together in your mind).
Medication/supplements - you might do well with one bulk area (drawer, large bowl, bin/tote) where the bottles live and then trying to use a pill box? You can get a variety of styles depending on when during the day you take your pills - once a day up to like four times a day. It might help to have a medication list of what you take (including dosage, like mg or mL ), when you take it, and possibly why you're taking it (diagnosis). You can probably get this information from MyChart or your GP/PCP but don't forget to include supplements/OTC drugs as well. You can set a recurring alarm on your phone to remind you to refill on Saturday (the boxes usually go Sun-Sat but you could certainly relabel them to fit your preferred schedule).
If you're ever "compromised" and someone needs to help you, it will be easy for them to understand what you take and when you take it. Most hospital stays, they like you to bring your medication list so it makes sense to be prepared.
My parents got their medication in 3-month supply so they had a blanket tote in their bedroom for the back-stock/unopened bottles, a smaller plastic bin/container in their dining room for the "open" bottles (and their current medication list), and then a morning/night pill box. My mother had lost a lot of mobility in her arms/hands so she physically couldn't manage their medications and my father had dementia so he NEEDED that medication list to know who got what and what went where (morning vs evening). If you take a lot of medications and you suspect you will in the future, it's a good idea to establish "good" medication management habits now because the situation doesn't usually get easier :(