Watch out- I'm moving in

Moving can be a lot of things: exciting as we start a new chapter in our lives, yet tiring as we pack and move boxes from one place to another.

The thing I've noticed that moving can do to me is completely debilitate me. I'll be fine and then out of nowhere, I can't think straight; I can't think at all... And I can't move. I just stand there- frozen- staring at everything that needs to be done; yet not able to do any of it. I see everything at once rather than being able to break it down into smaller doable chores.

I've always had difficulty prioritizing. Instead of putting things from most to least importance (vertically), I put an equal amount of importance on everything (horizontally). Not on purpose... But it all needs to get done, so that's what I see: all of it... At once... Taunting me.

At least this time, I've been able to find some useful tools in the process: taking breaks, and organizing room by room.

I know. Kind of obvious, right?

Don't judge. This is huge for me.

In the past, what I did for my "breaks" was merely changing projects- do a little here, a little there. But I didn't see the progress that way. I still saw everything as one giant "to do list"- and giving up way too soon because I was too overwhelmed.

So, I've learned to pace myself a little. This time, I've been a little more realistic on what I might get done in a day... And on those days I do have a ton that needs doing- I take a break: a complete change of focus that can restore my sense of routine instead of chaos. Sometimes, I stop packing (or unpacking), and just play with my kids- or cuddle with them. It's soothing.

This time, you are my break. Instead of lifting and moving, I sit still, completely change my mental focus, and talk to you. This allows my brain to breath and reorganize in order to face more work.  Thanks for being there.

Speaking of organizing, that's another thing I've tried to focus on to get me through this process. We're moving to a smaller house (with my parents). So, I'm having to be creative while we figure out some good storage solutions for all our stuff... (Besides just getting rid of things- which we will have to do, too).

I think I saw these two ideas on Pinterest a while ago, but I don't know for sure:

First is finding shelves to help stack things so they're more easily accessible. Also, I got a bunch of baskets to help me separate things into various categories and get them out without having to dig.

Next is using an over the door plastic shoe holder to organize all of our medicines. I'm pretty proud of this one. I got the clear one so I could see exactly what's in each pouch. Finding the right medicines was a saga in our last living situation. Word to the wise- just because you have space doesn't mean you're living "smart".





Getting organized outside my head helps me feel a little more organized inside my head. I only hope we can get back to a routine quickly so I can feel a bit less foggy...