‘Organising’ present ideas for DS16 with anxiety

[risefromyourgrave]

My DS is 16 and has quite bad anxiety, he is attending CAMHS and is on medication.

He has recently started college and has found that organising himself has helped with the anxiety, eg making lists of what needs to be done, sorting out all his work into folders, etc.

Does anyone have any bright ideas about stocking filler (£10-£15) priced things that would help? I have ordered a weekly planner white board for him to put up on his wall, he has stickers and folders to keep everything organised. He has 2 desks in his room, one for his gaming computer and one for his college work as he found doing his work at his computer desk distracting.

He really is a nightmare to buy for, not really interested in anything but gaming and college! So far I have bought him some touch screen gloves, some American drinks & sweets, a science facts book, some Skeletor pyjamas, some cosy socks and a watch strap for his Apple Watch.

Please help wise mumsnetters!

Sorry not sure this is much use as a present but I have a much younger DS with anxiety. He really likes having his clothes drawers sorted with dividers so he can get out exactly the clothes he wants each day easily. Similarly likes desk/drawer organisers so he knows where everything is.

Am sure someone else will come on with much better idea though!

Label maker?
Positive thoughts desk calendar
Drawer dividers
Something to promote exercise?

How about an echo dot? You can add reminders and lists from the app or talking to it. Plus he could listen to music, audio books. Do quizes and set alarms. We have a couple and love them.

Card index and revision cards to go inside.
Highlighters
Pin board/magnetic board - nice pins Or magnets
New stationery

These are all great ideas, thank you everyone. He has a google mini so I should investigate what use that could be to him, at the moment we just use it as an intercom because his bedroom is right at the top of the house!

If he likes gaming what about something like this:
www.madewithloveandsparkle.co.uk/personalised-game-stations.html?fbclid=IwAR1ovvM__R7PLqxHLrzyZCnMYvUPHHqmvihxFNKC8xcLz-iAfqC0SrSv9RE

I would definitely look at any technology or apps that can reduce the amount of headspace the anxiety / organising takes up.

I've started shifting over to using an app stack to manage things better / simplify as I kept ending up feeling totally overloaded by the complexity of all my manual organising stuff and then that increased the anxiety levels and reduced my headspace for coping even more.

It's so easy to get excited at all the wonderful organising "stuff" you can acquire and then end up exhausted by the volume and complexity of it all together!

What about decluttering session vouchers or decluttering books?! My anxiety and capacity to cope definitely improve when the volume of stuff and complexity in my general environment is reduced.

I realise lots of apps are free and a simple app stack might also end up being entirely free, but doing the research, presenting options and helping set up isn't a bad gift alongside other stuff?

A small gratitude journal to fill in each night. Not one for writing a page of thoughts, but just 3 bullet type guided gratitude journal.
Relaxing room sprays/pillow spray.
Weighted blanket.

Sorry not all those were 'organising'. My DC with severe anxiety is not the organising type unforutnately!

A weighted blanket might be a good idea? My teen has anxiety too and it disturbs his sleep at times. I've read that this can help so have got him one for his Xmas.

Really useful box do lots of fun colourful organising units - think a rainbow set of drawers, apple shaped green pull out boxes etc

@msssm

A weighted blanket might be a good idea? My teen has anxiety too and it disturbs his sleep at times. I've read that this can help so have got him one for his Xmas.

It does help - puts a dampener on all the restless kicking about and tossing and turning at bedtime.

He tried a weighted blanket but didn’t get on with it unfortunately, my DH loves his.
A gratitude journal and a positive thoughts desk diary sound like great ideas, thank you to everyone who has taken the time to suggest things, you have made my life easier!

I'm in exactly the same boat OP.

I bought a good organiser bag for my two (as a schoolbag but great as a college bag). The brand was: Kombat tactical assault pack (comes in plain black or camo)
My two have ASD and anxiety. They carry theirs everywhere now,

My DS is also a stationery nut - very fussy about the exact right pens and pencils etc, very appreciative of ones that aren't the basic type, so nice propeller pencils, full colour range of highlighters etc.

I ordered this for my DD who suffers from anxiety for her birthday and she loves it.

www.papier.com/joy-31150

If you sign up via my referral link you will receive £10 off

fbuy.me/qkL_M

A bullet journal could also help as an overarching tool for managing anxiety.

Yearly/monthly/weekly/etc goals and a record of what you’re doing and have done, plus the meditative aspect of getting thoughts out onto paper and outside of yourself.

I’ve just looked at bullet journaling but it looks so complicated! Do you know of an easy ‘how to’ guide at all?

To be honest I just use mine the way the concept started out as far as I, aware - literally a journal of bullet points! So I don’t do any of the fancy stuff, or decorating, or anything complicated. I just do bullet points of things I want to do, or things I’m feeling , or things I’ve done today/things I want to do tomorrow, things I need to remember for this month, etc.

I’m sure I came upon quite a good guide by the man who thought up the idea, but I’ll have to see if I can find it again. I’ll try.

This is the book that started it all:

the Bullet Journal Method

For things that might help with his anxiety etc have a look at spiffy.co.uk shop or blurt foundation. Also blurt have free downloads that maybe useful.

There is a great book called ‘do it tomorrow’ which is really helpful for executive planning skills. I am a city lawyer who is generally known for having their shit together and it really helped me become more organised and systematic about lots of things and I was in my early 30s when I read it.

Also post it notes, sticky tabs and a big box of his favourite type of pen (uniball micro for the win in my house!)

Oh and a handbag organiser (obviously don’t call it that!) might be good. I have one which makes it really easy to find stuff in my bag.

www.tintamar.com/en/23-vip-original-

A gridit to organise his bag?

I have anxiety. I'd say lavender oil and an electronic aroma diffuser. Not organisation related but would be nice.