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Beany Brain #56: Decluttering Everything

Author

Abigail Munday
August 26, 2025

Beany Brain: loving our jumping-bean brains!

Welcome to this issue of the Beany Brain! I hope today’s newsletter will bounce us up as we contemplate the upsides and challenges of being neurodivergent, a little beauty, some creativity, and just general yeehawesomeness.

Table of Contents

“Before” Photo by Abigail Munday

Clutter Awareness Week

Apparently the 2025 Clutter Awareness Week was August 6-12.

However…

I am aware of my clutter every single day of my life.

Yes, that is the old lime-decorated umbrella cover from a now-defunct brolly.

Yes, those are piles of papers and books and notebooks and who-knows.

Yes, there are bits and pieces that I want to use in an art project. (To be announced.)

(The hanging ladder is for the loft space over our bed where we put our suitcases. I can’t get rid of that. I’m not great at rapelling.)

OK. So you’ve seen the “before” photo. It’s not exactly dirty laundry, but it’s been aired.

The upside-down basket has now been repurposed for one son and it’s helping him with some of his own stuff (necessary clutter).

  1. Clear paper clutter. [Hmmm.]

  2. Assess all clothing. [I like my clothes but there are probably a few T-shirts I could part with. I still miss a sweater that I got rid of about 7 or 8 years ago. Not lying.]

  3. Streamline your entryway. [That could be another “before” and “after” to share later. If I remember to do it. And then if I remember to take photos, and if I remember to share them with you. Lots of ifs.]

  4. Tackle behind-the-scenes storage. [OK.]

  5. Aspirational clutter. [I probably have some aspirational books staring at me that I won’t read.]

(Gosh, there were a lot of links to specific stores in that H&G article.)

Some ADHD experts believe that a cluttered desk, closet, or house reflects a disorganized mind; others take it as a sign of genius. A lot of adults with ADHD, including me, agree with the latter opinion.

Either view can be true, depending on the individual and the degree of his disorganization. Those who are organizationally challenged spend hours — days, even — trying to get things neat. We lose quality time with our kids or a night on the town. “Controlled chaos” might be a better choice for ADHD adults. On the other hand, a mess that is ignored can grow larger, until we feel overwhelmed by it.

And I thought this part of the article was helpful:

Clutter Control Tips for ADHD Adults

Use baskets/containers without lids for like items (e.g., boot box, gloves/hat/scarves box, kitchen spice box).

Place a wastebasket in every room.

Place a magazine rack in rooms where you read.

Spend 15 minutes a day de-cluttering (throwing and putting things away, filing, if necessary).

Designate at least one junk drawer in every room. If you don’t know where an item should go, or if it doesn’t have a home yet, put it in that drawer.

I might add that 15-minutes-a-day idea to my list.

This sentence in the article really grabbed me:

Look beyond your mess — assuming it’s not messing up a colleague or spouse — and find something about yourself to applaud. I’m already clapping for you.

I’m just keeping it real, Beany Brain folks.

So…

Don’t get too excited about my “after” photo because:

  1. I still haven’t sorted through the papers.

  2. There is an “after” after this “after” that I’m not showing you.

  3. There is an “after” after this “after” because this secondhand bedside table has drawers that are made of brown fabric-like stuff wrapped around cardboard/paper forms and it all reeks of the previous owner’s perfume. I’ve left the drawers outside in the sun for 4 days now and no luck. So my senses are cluttered by the overwhelming smell. Perfume = invisible but no-less-annoying clutter.

Ack! The clutter! Send me a declutterbug.

Aspirational “After” Photo by Abigail Munday

But wait! There’s more…

Stay tuned to this cluttered space because we have ourselves a wee ozonator, which we will use to zap the offending perfume smell from above declutterifying bedside table. (Don’t worry—we only use the ozonator when we’re not home, then we open windows and air everything out.)

Maybe I will actually have a for-real “after” photo for you at some point.

I don’t just have a Clutter Awareness Week, peeps.

I have a Clutter Awareness Life.

I’m deciding in this moment that I’m not going to be ashamed about it anymore.

And I will set a 15-minute timer. Anyone with me?

Ha Ha Haiku

My aim is to share a funny haiku with you every week in every newsletter, whether it’s one of my own or one I curate for you. HA. Ha. Haiku.

Decluttering the Ol’ Noggin

What do you do when your brain is clogged up?

Well, Dr. Daniel Amen has some things to say about ANTs (automatic negative thoughts):

It’s only about 3 minutes and worth a gander, methinks.

Methinks.

Methinks too much.

Methinks too much negativity.

So…

Here’s what Dr. Amen says to do (if I can stop and catch myself in the moment, that is!):

If you’re upset, write it down.

Then ask yourself 5 questions about it:

  1. Is it true?

  2. Is it absolutely true?

  3. How do I feel when I have the thought?

  4. Who would you be/how would you feel if you didn’t have the thought?

  5. What is the opposite of the original thought?

He also says (kind of a paraphrase):

Trauma is written into your genetic code. So are good things.

Talk about clutter awareness! Whooeeeee! This is encouraging stuff.

From Global Positive News via NBC

Yeehawesome!

Yeehawesome! is a happy-brain roundup in each issue of Beany Brain. What’s happening that’s good in brain land? What’s bringing me joy?

  1. OK, you have to watch the local NBC clip of the reporter in a grape costume interviewing an autistic 14-year-old boy who donned a banana costume and ran around a high-school football field at halftime and then got into trouble for it. The reporter makes a great (sarcastic) point.

  2. Too meta? I love writing this newsletter every week! It’s fun and yeehawesome.

Photo by Abigail Munday

  1. This lily that comes up unbidden every year through the concrete is yeehawesome for sure. In the last day or so, a neighbor has secured it to the pole with some string to keep it upright.

Photo by Abigail Munday

Beany Brownie Points and Extra Bonus Funniness

Wonderful Wednesday

Wonderful Wednesday was a day once a year in college when they would suddenly and surprisingly call off all classes and we’d play all day. The cafeteria provided special fun food and we’d do stuff outside like slip ‘n slides and jello wrestling in sumo suits. This segment of Beany Brain is dedicated to that memory of silliness and fun—no words, just a photo from the week that I’ve taken or found that reminds me to let the joy in. Since Beany Brain is published on Wednesday every week (at least, Wednesday in Japan), I hope you enjoy this Wonderful Wednesday.

Photo by Abigail Munday

OK, folks, normally I don’t comment on the Wonderful Wednesday photos, but I just have to interject here.

This was at our local home and garden center, and see those white marshmallow cubes on that plant? Those are bits of styrofoam on each leaf tip to presumably stop anyone from getting poked as they walk by. Talk about customer service!

Today’s Beany-full Summary:

  • ADHD people can have trouble with clutter. It’s nothing to be ashamed of and there are tips and tricks to support us in our forever-endeavors.

  • Dr. Amen suggests writing down any feelings of upset, then asking ourselves 5 questions: Is it true? Is it absolutely true? How do I feel when I have the thought? Who would you be/how would you feel if you didn’t have the thought? What is the opposite of the original thought?

  • Go forth in Beany joy. What will help you feel yeehawesome this week?

Thank you for reading this installment of Beany Brain! You’re very welcome to hop on by any old time.

If you’re enjoying Beany Brain, please share with a friend or seventeen at www.beanybrain.com. Cheers big time!