Less Stress In Life
Welcome to Less Stress in Life—the podcast dedicated to helping you navigate life with greater ease, energy, and balance. In our Empowered Wellness series, we share practical tools, expert insights, and meaningful conversations designed to support your journey toward feeling more in control and at peace in your everyday life.
Hosted by Deb Timmerman, a registered nurse and reflexologist; Susie Marsh, a social worker and professional organizer; and Lindsay Vertalka, a physical therapist, we bring a unique blend of perspectives to help you move through life—literally and figuratively—with more confidence, grace, and vitality.
Whether it’s finding calm in chaos, creating supportive spaces, or building strength and resilience, we’re here to guide you every step of the way. Join us to discover how small shifts can lead to big changes, helping you live with less stress and greater ease.
Less Stress In Life
Chronic Disorganization: It's Not Just Clutter. It’s a Brain-Based Issue
Welcome back to the Less Stress in Life Podcast and our Empowered Wellness Series! In this episode, co-hosts Deb Timmerman, RN, Lindsay Vertalka, MSPT, and Susie Marsh, LMSW and professional organizer, dive deep into a topic that’s often misunderstood: chronic disorganization.
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Website: LessStressinLife.com/podcast/
Stay tuned for more conversations with Deb, Susie, and Lindsay as they empower you to live well, manage stress, and build a thriving, healthy life!
Chronic Disorganization: It's Not Just Clutter—It’s Brain-Based
This isn’t about being messy or lazy—chronic disorganization is a neurologically-rooted condition that impacts how we live, feel, and function. If you’ve tried every organizing hack and still feel overwhelmed by clutter or chaos, this episode is for you.
What We Explore:
· What is chronic disorganization?
· A persistent struggle that impacts quality of life, despite best efforts
· Often tied to conditions like ADHD, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and chronic illness
· How the brain plays a role
· Executive function challenges and how trauma can alter brain development
· Why “working with the brain you have” leads to success
· Trauma’s impact on organization
· Decision-making overwhelm, grief clutter, and emotional ties to stuff
· How injuries, caregiving, or unexpected stressors can derail routines and how to prepare for life changes
· Judgment-free support
· Shifting the narrative from “What’s wrong with me?” to “What happened to me?”
Practical Tools & Resources:
1. Assessment Tools: ChallengingDisorganization.org – Checklists & education
2. Professional Organizer Directory: NAPO.net
3. Mental Health & ADHD Resources: Check with your county mental health authority
4. PsychologyToday.com – Find a therapist
5. Attitude Magazine – ADHD support & webinars
Health Provider Tips:
Communicate your learning style (visual, written, step-by-step)
Be honest about what you can handle, and build a team that supports you!
Empowered Wellness Challenge:
Try one small organizational strategy this week—whether it’s creating a new routine, organizing a drawer, or simplifying your calendar.
Then, reflect: How does it shift your mood, energy, or self-talk?
Key Takeaway:
Chronic disorganization is not a personal failing.
It’s brain-based, often trauma-linked, and manageable with the right tools, support, and perspective shift. Healing and change are possible—at any age.
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Connect with Us:
Visit LessStressInLife.com for more episodes, wellness tools, and upcoming events.