Creating an ADHD-friendly home is an excellent start to ADHD management. Following our organizational hacks to a tidier space will help with productivity and calm.
If you have Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), you may notice that maintaining order or organization is a struggle. Individuals with ADHD may take shortcuts, contending with clutter, disarray, or a sense of overwhelm in a messy space. "I don't know where to start" may be a common phrase.
ADHD management can come in the form of medication, exercise, therapy, and more, but one other way to make a difference in your day-to-day is by consistently keeping order in your home and work areas. With a few organizational hacks, your productivity strategies are more impactful.
By creating an organized environment, individuals with ADHD can experience reduced distractions, enhanced focus, and increased mental clarity. This, in turn, paves the way for heightened productivity, improved time management, and a greater sense of control over one's surroundings and daily tasks.
Here are our top hacks for creating an ADHD-friendly home.
Do you feel you have one hundred things to do and need help figuring out where to start? Please write it down! Creating to-do lists with clear, concise tasks will help an ADHD mind focus on smaller, manageable steps. ADHD individuals work better with broken-down tasks and are less likely to get distracted and walk away midway.
Begin by decluttering room by room, section by section. You can start with one drawer or cupboard and move on to the next. It may help to hire a professional declutterer or rope in an organized friend to help you stay focused on each task. Make it fun by rewarding yourself with mocktails and a movie night when you've reached your goal for the day.
Donate or discard duplicated or old items that no longer serve a purpose. If you haven't used, worn, or thought of an object in a few months, pass it on to reduce visual distractions in your home.
Find a shortcut and go for it! If laundry has become laborious - simplify your sorting process, wash loads per person, or use laundry bags to keep items organized in the washer and dryer. Wash items less frequently and only do laundry when things are visibly dirty or smelly. Consider skipping steps that still result in clean items in your wardrobe.
Look for coupons that apply to labels, bins, organizational baskets, or clever storage tubs. These items can help you visually organize and identify where things belong. As a result, it will be easier to tidy and sort mess at the end of the day.
You can create serenity and reduce chaos by embracing a minimalist approach to your life. Simple furniture, decor, and anything that diminishes a visual overload is your best friend. If you have knick-knacks that you love, designate a space for them to live that will feed your creative soul without looking messy.
In the spirit of simplicity, stick to a one-in-one-out rule. When introducing a new item, remove a similar item to prevent clutter from accumulating.
Listing tasks and goals for the day can clear your mind for increased productivity. Stay on track by giving yourself an incentive.
If a Saturday morning is the best time for doing laundry, make it a weekly habit. If you like to water your indoor plants while listening to self-improvement podcasts in the morning, stick to the routine. Habits and routines help people with AHDH maintain structure and predictability.
Get your family on board and dedicate a few minutes each evening to tidying up. Hand each family member a basket to pick up all their bits and pieces - from shoes and school bags to toys. Get them to sort the baskets into their rooms or designated zones. Cleaning the dishes and resetting the living space as a team establishes a fresh start for the next day. Create a playlist to action everyone into tidy-up time.
Maintain a visible, centralized family calendar to keep track of appointments, activities, and deadlines. Assign colors to different tasks or family members. Use color-coded calendars, folders, and labels for easy recognition.
"Hey Siri, set a reminder to put the washing in the dryer," "Hey Alexa, set a timer for my focused work period." Put your AI assistant to good use and set reminders and calendar entries for anything and everything. Do you want to vacuum your apartment but currently working on a deadline? Set a reminder to do it during your lunch break.
Smart apps or home devices can also remind us to rest, exercise, or take out the trash. Handing over the mental load and learning some time-management hacks allows people with ADHD to focus without distractions.
Organize your workspace with accessible storage for supplies. Keep only essential items on your desk to minimize distractions. Tidying your workspace once or even twice a day can make a massive difference to your productivity.
Minimize those Sunday scaries by reviewing and adjusting your organizational hacks each week to see if they're still working for you. Make time to rest, recoup and process what the week ahead holds. Set a reminder to catch up on any productivity strategies that can reduce the mental and visual clutter from your life.
Are too many products making your head spin? Forget about the fumes; buying something for every corner of the home can be overwhelming on your shopping list and budget. Instead, learn how to use baking soda, vinegar, and lemon juice to clean everything in your home. This will simplify your cleaning box and make it easier to carry around for spot-cleaning sessions.
We get it - your family may not always be the best housemates for your ADHD. Explain to your family that a clear space means a clear mind for everyone, and empower them with the habits and hacks you've learned in this article. Assign chores to the capable members of the family and consistently praise them for their efforts.
Create a quiet, distraction-free space for deep work or relaxation, equipped with noise-canceling headphones if necessary. Use the area to meditate and focus on self-care.
Understanding and managing your ADHD is critical to recognizing your default behaviors and patterns contributing to messiness. You can feel more secure and in control by addressing challenges one step at a time and adopting a compartmentalized approach with organizational hacks.
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