I’m getting involved in organizing a couple of things at church right now. Michael and I share an office and a desk at home which for the most part, works. I’m not good at sharing a computer and he really isn’t either – although he’s better at it than I am! It just doesn’t make sense for us to have two separate offices at home though so we make do

This picture is of our desk. As you can see, it is strewed with various notebooks, papers and sundry items. Most of the mess is mine for Michael simply puts things in little piles in the corner of the desk. He does have a lot of notebooks around the computer, though but for the most part, this works for us. A few months ago, I purchased some office supplies to help me get organized but I never followed through on it.

One of the ways I deal with memory issues is by leaving papers out so that I’m reminded they are there. This doesn’t work well with both of us sharing the desk. The part of my brain responsible for organizing is damaged. I never liked organizing things anyway and the desk in my office at the church I served was always a mess. However, I knew what I needed and remembered where it was. This is no longer the case so having a messy desk is unbearable for me when I need to get things finished.

My plan was to organize my desk this morning but it didn’t work out that way. It seems I can always find something to do so I can put off organizing! However, if I want to be involved in things I HAVE to be organized or I can’t function. It’s hard to explain but with chaotic surroundings, I feel stressed inside. I can’t find anything and then I get upset because I don’t know where things are.  When I am stressed, I don’t think, making it impossible to function.

Years ago, brain injury specialists told me I was doing too many things so when I moved here to Asheville, I dropped out of everything. This worked for a while but then, I got bored so I began adding things in a careful manner. I’m still trying to find the balance between doing too much and not doing enough.

I must say again that everyone who has a brain injury functions differently. I am able to do more things than other brain injury survivors which doesn’t make me a better person. It only presents some unique challenges.

If you have a brain injury, do you find you have to organize your life better than before? When you don’t do this or try to accomplish too many things, do you get tired as I do? Have you found a way to balance this? If so, how?