Ten ADHD Friendly Tips for Organising Stuff
1. Look the Part
They say you should “Dress for the job you want” and this applies to managing your
stuff too, so create a “Doing Uniform”.
Clothing is a shortcut which tells your brain what comes next. Keep an apron,
overshirt or tiara if you like (your uniform, your rules!) on a hook somewhere that’s
easily accessible and grab it when you need to be productive. Remember to include
the right shoes and don’t take them off until you’re done.
2. Set a Timer
Your dopamine receptors need a hit in order for this task to feel less choresome.
Setting a timer (i.e. ten minutes) rather than a task (sorting out the floordrobe) means
that as long as you work for that time, regardless of the progress you make you have
completed your mission successfully.
This little trick can help with motivation. Do it often and you’ll teach your brain to
associate dull tasks with being rewarding.
3. Stay in the Room
Place a box in the doorway and do not cross it.
Dump anything that doesn’t belong in the space you’re tidying in the box and deal
with it at the end. Leaving the room to put things away might seem constructive, but
it’s a major time-eating distraction.
4. Ditch lids
You need minimal friction points between picking up an item and putting it away.
Lids are not your friend, they create a barrier between the item you’re holding and
the space it needs to go in or worse yet, another surface for stuff to accumulate on: if
they’re not essential, get rid of them.
5. Swap doors for curtains
Take wardrobe doors off or use hanging rails in alcoves, then choose a fabric you
love and create a curtain.
Curtains don’t eat up space when they’re left open so you have easy visual access
to what you have and where it lives, but they can be closed when you need less
visual clutter.
6. Use Clear Containers
Visual reminders only work when they’re not absolutely everywhere so use clear
containers for the important items, even if it’s just a “to-do” crate of things that need
addressing like paperwork, parcels to return, gifts to post, etc.
7. Sensory Pairing
Pairing a dull task with a sensory treat can help make the process far more
rewarding.
Be creative about things that feel good for you: declutter in your nicest underwear,
listen to your favourite upbeat music or a gripping podcast, add a fresh cut flower to
every surface you clear or light a scented candle.
8. Label It
It’s rarely practical or satisfying to have absolutely everything visible, so label the
drawers or containers you can’t see inside.
Remember this is your space and you’re organising it your way: use stickers,
images, numbers with a matching inventory list on a device, chalkboard labels or
colour coded ribbons.
9. Hangers, Hooks and Baskets
You want to wear that blue t-shirt/pair of jeans/cosy jumper – pull it from the drawer,
unfold it and discover it’s unsuitable for the occasion or you’re just not in the mood
for it today and need to refold it and put it away. You don’t have time so you put it to
one side to deal with later.
You won’t. This is a how doom piles start or get bigger!
If drawers aren’t working for you, ditch some of them. Hooks behind doors or on
walls, coat stands, pull out baskets and blanket boxes all offer alternative ways to
store clothes that make them easier to manage for you.
10. Call for Back-up
Whether it’s a professional, a bestie or a remote support group, enlisting back-up will
help you to start a task, stay focussed on it, set realistic goals for a session and be
accountable for your achievements at the end.
Got some ADHD-friendly tips of your own? Feel free to share, I’d love to hear them!