Why are we messy? How to be tidy?

[Slinky Siren]

Its not just at home that i am messy. My desk at work is like a war zone. I have tried to keep it tidy but figure its not possible. I am forever trying to keep the house tidy and some day's I'm really good but generally I find house work really daunting. Oh, to have a cleaner, wouldn't that be bliss?
I guess we are just gifted at being messy!

[scififreak1992]

My Mum has always said that my room reflects the state of my mind.

If I'm more stressed or tired I seem to get more dyspraxic almost, so as I've gotten older I've understood that better...doesn't help me be any more tidy though. If I'm honest, it annoys me that fact that my Mum understands why my room is messy but still sees the need to constantly inform me that I need to tidy my room (I'm 21 and pay board for the use of my room and have told her to keep the door shut and not look if it bothers her. I'm not sure why she can't just respect my wishes on that.)

Don't know if that helps or not :/

[moleyface1991]

[quote="scififreak1992"]My Mum has always said that my room reflects the state of my mind.

I have to agree it is a pointless thing for her to that. My room is sometimes messy but I make sure that I try and kep to a routine of putting things in places I know where they are, for example, when I got things to do, I use post it notes to make a note of it and put it on a board, but the ones I use tend to fall off quite a lot so it can be pointless sometimes lol. m

Chris

[FAndrews]

glad I'm not the only one with this problem lol makes me feel a bit less useless

[Fordinand]

I also have a problem of untidiness. It has caused friction between my senior relatives and me, even as an adult. I do try to 'keep a lid on it' as far as I can.

I have been trying to work out why other dyspraxics and I have this problem and suspect that dyspraxia is probably the reason. However, as I'm no psychologist, please take what I say with a pinch of salt. Anyway, I think our untidiness might be caused by the following:

1. Our poor short-term memory, slow processing speed and difficulties in movement slow us down, so we can't do things as quickly as 'normal' people can.

2. Because working life is more difficult for us in most ways than it is for 'normal' people, we are generally very tired at the end of the day. Consequently, we may just not have the energy left to tidy our rooms especially since it is not usually an urgent task.

3. We often lack confidence in ourselves, so we are reluctant to commit ourselves to throwing things away.

4. Our poor short-term memory means that we struggle to remember what the correct place for things is.

When reading this, I feel that this is correct.
I'm always tired by the end of the day, I can never think of where to put things, probably why I'm always losing things.
I never throw things away. I have a whole bottom draw full of things that I don't know what to do with.
My mum could zoom around the house quicker than it'd take me to clean up my room... She's always offering to help but I always say no ha
It's always like I'm sleeping with a partner, my bed is so messy with 'stuff' on the other side of it!
Washing clothes means I have to remember to do this. I always seem to wash my work clothes at the last minute which means they might be in the tumble dryer over night, so I sometimes forget to take them out the next day.
I'm the worst for cleaning at work, I think they've taken me off cleaning the bathroom for a reason!
Messy play with the kids always seems to be even messier play with me haha

[Fordinand]

glad I'm not the only one with this problem lol makes me feel a bit less useless

It's helpful to know that there's a reason to why things happen!