Principles of Divergent Design (part 2A): STORAGE)
This blog was also posted today on Instagram.
Let’s talk about
STORAGE
and specifically what to do about excess stuff, aka “decluttering.”
In a consumer society, storage is a problem for everyone, but I think for neurodivergent people, there are some special considerations.
But the first consideration, for all of us, is to examine our relationship to consumerism and to our mass accumulation of stuff—because the first and most obvious storage solution is to simply have less stuff to store!
This isn't a judgment, and certainly not intended to shame, but I encourage you to consider the ways and whys of your consumerism and accumulation of stuff. This post isn't primarily about that though.
Changing your relationship to consumerism may help you accumulate less stuff in the future, but it doesn't really solve the problem of storing the stuff you already have. This is where I think there are some specific issues related to neurodivergence.
First, there's the question of what stuff to keep and what stuff to get rid of. For some of us, getting rid of stuff is simple because we don't store meaning or memories in objects.
For others of us, our stuff is more than mere objects—it is the accumulation of meaning and memories we associate with those objects.
Knowing which sort of person you are is pretty important. I feel fortunate that it's really easy for me to get rid of stuff I don't need anymore. But I have come to understand it's not so simple for everyone. If your stuff is more than stuff, then "decluttering" is a whole different task for you. Because I can't speak from personal experience, I don't have a lot of suggestions for decluttering.
A few ideas that do come to mind are 1) keeping just one representative object, like a piece of clothing from a particular era; 2) storing objects digitally as images; or 3) repurposing objects into stuff you do "need," like turning an old tee-shirt into art.
Another issue in determining what what to keep is that "need" is relative. In addition to the meaning you do or don't store in objects, you must consider your values, your aesthetic, and what brings you pleasure.
Someone with a maximalist aesthetic (c'est moi!) needs more stuff (lamps, vases, objets d'art) than a die-hard minimalist. For another example, my house is full of books because books—whether or not I am ever going to read them again—are both an important aesthetic and value for me.
"Need" doesn't mean bare physical survival. You may need beauty and pleasure and memories too.
Yet another issue that must be acknowledged is how taxing decluttering is, and I think this is especially true for neurodivergent people who take in the whole sensory field all at once.
Decision fatigue is a real thing for anyone, and decluttering is really just a long series of small decisions. But if every object you pick up evokes lots of memories and sensations, decluttering can easily lead to sensory overload and shutdown.
It's important to take it slowly, and maybe get help from someone you can trust to understand your neurodivergent ways of being without judgment.
tl;dr:
• Consider reexamining your relationship to consumerism;
• Know what sort of person you are in relationship to your stuff; in particular, consider what added layers of meaning might your stuff carry for you? That's all real and present when you are making decisions about what to keep and what to let go;
• Decide what you "need" based on your values and aesthetics, not just on sheer physical survival;
• Pace yourself and be aware of overwhelm.
• Possibly get help from someone who understands your issues related to neurodivergence and who won't judge you.
The next post in this series, Part 2B, will look at the logistics of storage—where and how—with an eye to a specific neurodivergent issues, including fatigue, sensory overload, and shutdown; and of course our favorite phenomenon, "out-of-sight-out-of-mind."
In the meantime, though, I would love to hear from you, especially if you are someone for whom objects store meaning in ways that make decluttering difficult. Do you have any insights or suggestions for how to help folks like you?
I'd be so appreciative to hear from you in the comments!