DOOM PILES

Is your home full of Doom Piles? The phrase has been circulating on social media for a couple of years, but it’s starting to grab a following on TikTok. A Doom Pile is a pile of stuff you just can’t get around to dealing with: unopened mail, papers that need filing, laundry you can’t put away, junk drawers that need organizing, food containers stuck in the back of the refrigerator… Psychologist Michele Leno says Doom Piles are a sign of being distracted or overwhelmed (* or, c’mon, just plain lazy). She notes that one Doom pile can lead to another, and of course “the more piles you create, the more difficult it becomes to tackle the job.” The syndrome is often associated with depression, low motivation, inability to get going on other tasks, and, in some cases, personal care neglect. Here are her tips on dealing with Doom Piles:
– Make your piles visible to prevent the “out of sight, out of mind” issue.
– Set a date and time when you will put things in their rightful place.
– Determine where you will place a new item before you buy it.
– Stop at one DOOM pile so it’s easier to manage.
* PHONE TOPIC: Right now, how many Doom Piles are in your house?