The ADHD Guide For Deciding Where Unwanted Clutter Should Go
Not sure what to do with your clutter? This can be a big dilemma for ADHD brains. We can get bogged down with the decision of what to do with…
The number one question I get in my inbox goes something along the lines of this:
Hey Jessica. I know you share a lot about organizing but I just don’t think I can keep things organized because I have ADHD. How do I stay organized when I literally forget everything?
The Answer To Being Organized With ADHD
The truth is, most traditional organizing methods just aren’t built for brains that think and operate differently.
A planner might work for a week… but then it becomes clutter on the counter.
Sticky notes get lost. And don’t even get me started on digital reminders—if you’re already overwhelmed, that buzzing phone just feels like another thing yelling at you.
An ADHD version of organized may not look like social media organized. And that is okay!
In order to find your version of organized, we have to start by getting clear on what you want from the space.
Because when you get clear on “organized”, you get clear on what the end will look like.
Not everyone needs a color-coded pantry. Not everyone needs clear bins. And not everyone needs their homes to look like a Pinterest board.
A lot of time with ADHD, we get these big ideas but struggle with the execution. Because those steps can be more complex. Our brains just want it done and can get lost in the “messy middle”.
It can be best for ADHD brains to take a step back from the idea of the finished space and turn it into how do you want to use the space.
Hear me out on this one: how you want to use the space can differ from being organized.
Our ADHD brains can feel pressure to keep things orderly when, in reality, our brains want things accessible.
Which is why you may like a picture you see on the internet but cannot make that a reality in your home. Because your brain craves accessibility and simplicity.
So let’s start there. Let’s start with making your space accessible to you when putting things away. Let’s keep your systems simple to maintaining order in your space.
You are probably over complicating things right now.
Stop scrolling and keep things simple.
You don’t need a complicated system. You just need one that’s visible, repeatable, and doesn’t rely on memory.
Let’s break down the system we use that actually works—and keeps everything from falling through the cracks.
Use Zones To Keep It Simple
One thing you don’t see much online is about using zones to group items in your home.
This is a really simple way to place items in a similar area of your home.
I do this with stickie notes. Because you can easily move them, it works as a great starting point.
Go around your home and give every area a zone. You can be as specific or generic as possible.
Then put items that belong in that zone in that space. Move anything that doesn’t belong in that space out.
It may take time, but it is an easy and simple way to keep your home organized. Because you are grouping similar items together without worrying about always keeping things Pinterest organized.
Read Tips On How To Zone Your Home
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How Do You Categorize Your Clothes?
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Automate When You Can
This has been a game-changer for me. Because I don’t have to go off my working memory alone. Instead I set up automatic payments, default routines, and monthly reminders.
I set up auto-pay on monthly bills that I can’t miss like water, gas, mortgage, etc. And all paychecks are automatically deposited, so I don’t have to think about going to the bank or depositing on my phone.
We also have auto-renewal of medications and supplements. This helps reduce the burden of remembering to reorder something. I get an email notification that my meds will be shipped in a week, a few days, and day of. Most auto-renewal services have multiple email reminders, you just have to set that up initially.
Default routines are things that I plan to do daily or weekly. These are things like “Sunday Laundry” or “Monday Groceries”. Every Sunday, we do laundry. And every Monday, I get groceries. If something isn’t on the grocery list, I don’t buy it. And if something isn’t in the laundry basket, I don’t wash it.
This default routine helps everyone in the family stay on track because it keeps the consistency without over scheduling myself with too many things.
And monthly reminders are things I set up on my phone to help me remember specific tasks like “give the dog his heart worm meds”, “clean vacuum” or “check bank account”. These reminders are spread out on different days than my default routines so that I can check on a day when I am not already doing another task.
Create Drop Zones
I love drop zones. I find them to be incredibly helpful for so many areas of your home.
We have a drop zone where everyone comes in from the garage. Shoes and boots go in a basket. Backpacks, bags, and jackets go on hooks. Everything else goes on the bench or a tray.
In bedrooms, we have a drop zone for those in between clothes. You know, the clothes that you wear for a short time that aren’t dirty so they don’t belong in the dirty clothes bin but aren’t clean to go back in the drawer.
These drop zones get dumped into the laundry basket on Sunday and washed for the week. It helps that clothing isn’t laying all over the floor and has a designated location to live until it goes back into the clean drawer after laundry.
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