Meet Danica Carson

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Danica Carson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Danica, we are so deeply grateful to you for opening up about your journey with mental health in the hops that it can help someone who might be going through something similar. Can you talk to us about your mental health journey and how you overcame or persisted despite any issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.

This is actually a very important question as it relates to my business. I have struggled with ADHD for a long time. When I was a kid, people would chalk up my inability to complete things to my “artist’s spirit”. What people didn’t understand was that the clutter and inability to complete things were symptoms of ADHD rather than personality traits. The most frustrating part was that it made me feel completely overwhelmed and incapable nearly all the time.

I was also left with some changes in how my brain works after having cerebral vasculitis off and on all through High School, as a result of other autoimmune issues. Things that I used to find easy were suddenly impossible. Things I struggled with before, I was suddenly better at. Because of that, I had to develop new coping skills to overcome new cognitive challenges. The most effective coping skill I developed was keeping things clean and organized. I was shocked by how drastically it changed my entire life. I was suddenly more productive, my head was clear, and I felt a sense of calm rather than constantly trying to keep my head above water.

The domino effect of these changes was huge. I was more confident, more proactive, and more open to taking on new challenges, knowing that I was finally able to complete things. That’s really how I ended up becoming a professional organizer, and what led me to develop our first Hack Deck, the Declutter Deck. The power of organization is in the long-term change to your life overall, not just the immediate change to your surroundings.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Hack Decks is a line of “life-hacks in a box” designed to address common struggles without forcing users to change their life. I wanted to create something that could be added into someone’s routine, rather than alter their already stressful schedule. It’s especially important that things are flexible and easy to implement when you have ADHD or any other mental health struggle that impacts your attention, energy, or motivation.

Hack Decks began under the umbrella of our organizing business, The Uncluttered Life. Our first deck, Declutter Deck, was a tool developed for clients. People loved the idea, though, so we expanded the line. Each deck is designed to address things that can become overwhelming. The mission of each deck is to simplify routines and eliminate brain clutter by letting the deck tell you what to do. As we say, “delegate to the deck”. Let the deck tell you what to do for date night. Let the deck tell you what to clean or organize. The deck addresses the bigger picture, so you don’t have to waste your time trying to figure it out alone.

The pick-a-card format allows people to focus solely on that task, which makes things less overwhelming and more likely to succeed long term. Each prompt is a smaller piece of a large puzzle. Once you’ve completed the entire deck, you have somehow tackled your entire house.

We are thrilled to announce that we have two new organizing and decluttering-based decks coming out at the end of the year. One addresses organization for households with young kids, and the other is an expansion to our Declutter Deck, with even quicker and easier tasks for getting tidied up in a flash.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I studied design and semiotics at UC Berkeley. One of the biggest benefits of my education in my job as an organizer is understanding how visuals and aesthetics can affect people on a subconscious level. There have been multiple studies released by major medical research universities confirming the correlation between cortisol levels and visual stimulation. The studies indicate that increased visual stimulation is associated with higher cortisol levels, particularly in women. While people may think of clutter as simply an eyesore, these studies prove that it goes much deeper than that, ultimately affecting your health.

Understanding how colors, different organizing styles, and design all come together to create a space that allows someone to thrive is crucial in my line of work. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to organization because each person has unique circumstances, both physically and mentally. The system should fit the person, rather than the other way around. I think it’s important for anyone getting started to keep that in mind. You have to be able to adapt to your client’s needs, not force your client to work the way you do.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

The most impactful thing my parents did for me was that they always believed in my ideas. Even when I was young, my parents would ask for my ideas about their own work. When I came up with a good one, they ran with it. They always treated me like my thoughts and opinions were valuable, going as far as to trademark certain phrases and designs I came up with for their businesses. I don’t think many parents would do that.

Now, as an adult and a parent, I see how much faith they had in me and how much they believed in my talent. That kind of thing stays with you forever. You can see your own value because your parents show you that you are valued, even if it’s just to them. I try to emulate that with my own kid.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theunclutteredlife.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homeorganizing.experts.dfw