Peace of Mind Organizing

Disaster preparedness can bring peace of mind

5 September 2019

Today my thoughts are occupied with concern for my dear friend, Ann, who lives in Charleston, S.C. As I type this, Hurricane Dorian is battering Charleston with the eye of the hurricane literally just off its shores.

As happens whenever natural disasters present themselves (as they do so often these past few years) I think about disaster preparedness, how I could be better prepared and how I can help my clients and blog readers be better prepared.

Today, I came across this blog series from Lisa Witzleben of Unclutter Me in Anchorage, Alaska. The six-part series covers seven different areas of disaster prep. I think her posts offer insightful advice that I haven’t seen elsewhere. You can access all seven posts in her Be Prepared series with this link or click on individual posts with the links below. I encourage you to give them a read.

• Be Prepared: Cash is king!
• Be Prepared: Electronics—how to be ready for a disaster
• Be Prepared: Go Folder—it’s time, let’s go
• Be Prepared: Create a memory tote
• Be Prepared: Taking care of our pets in times of need
• Be Prepared: Who are you going to call?
• Be Prepared: How can social media assist you after a disaster?

Lisa is also the guest on the current episode of Stand Out, the podcast from the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO). In the episode she discusses preparedness, so it’s obviously very timely.

Another resource you might check out is the book, Organize for Disaster: Prepare Your Family and Your Home for Natural and Unnatural Disasters, by Judith Kolberg, a veteran organizer who is well known in our industry.

Of course all this information isn’t very helpful during a disaster. But if Hurricane Dorian has inspired you to look into making sure you’re prepared for the next hurricane/tornado/fire/flood/earthquake/what have you, these resources a good place to start. That way, next time a disaster looms, you’ll have more peace of mind.

Comments