Stick To The Same Style Of Socks
Another ridiculously small and simple hack when it comes to laundry is this: I only have one style of socks.
Well, technically, two.
A short style for summer and a long style for winter.
Otherwise, theyre all the same sock. Because heres the deal I hate having to match socks.
So I bought all the same socks theyre all black socks and theyre what I wear every day. I dont have to worry about finding the right pair, I just grab two and they match.
No more wasted time doing something like matching socks. Yes, please.
Sandy Maynard Adhd Coach
6. Make it eye-catching. I paste logos on folders, rather than writing on them. The colorful logo of Citigroup is easier to find than a folder with banking written in black ink.
7. Make it digital. I use a smartphone to hold contact information. And I enter new phone numbers immediately. No scraps of paper that inevitably get thrown out.
8. 10-9-8-7 I create a launchpad with my keys, purse, cell phone charger, and any items that need to be taken with me in a basket by the front door.
9. Nip clutter in the bud. I collect and sort my mail daily over a recycling wastebasket, so that junk mail doesnt make it to my desk.
10. Closet control. For every new piece of clothing that I purchase, I get rid of one old item. That means socks with holes in them, too.
Michael Laskoff Ceo Of Abitocom
1. Buy bright and shiny objects. When it comes to personal effects keys, wallet, pens, notebooks, umbrella I avoid black it’s easy to overlook and lose.
2. Know what you will forget. I forget a meeting time almost as soon as someone tells me. Knowing that, I make an appointment only when I can write it down on my calendar.
3. Dress the night before. Im not a morning person, so I lay out my clothes and critical items for the next day the previous evening.
4. Downsize your desk. Give me a flat surface, and I will pile paper on it. And since I cant stop piling, I opted for a small desk. It limits my potential to create paper-based chaos.
5. Be redundant. I use multiple alarms setting a clock, programming a cell phone, asking people to call me to remind me of things. I ignore single reminders, but almost always pay attention to several of them.
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I Bought Open Storage Boxes To Store My Clothes Inside My Closet Instead Of Drawers
With drawers, I can only see the top layer, whereas with open storage boxes, I can see everything that is stacked inside the box. I know I struggle with object permanence, so if I cant see it, I forget I have it. I have bought so many duplicates because I think I dont have something, but its really just stuck at the bottom of a drawer.
How To Get Organized When You Have Adult Adhd
If you are someone whos been clinically diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, more commonly known as ADHD, you may oftentimes find yourself spinning in circles when it comes to organizing.
Whether its organizing for work, at home or just daily life, you can easily become overwhelmed. Sometimes, you may even feel like your brain is short-circuiting with decision fatigue.
If you find organization a daunting task, take a deep breath. Youre not aloneand its not your fault. You can blame it on how your brain functions, or rather how it doesnt function, when it comes to planning or organizing, multiple tasks, decision-making, focus and problem-solving.
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Keep A Hardcopy Calendar
Keeping a paper or whiteboard calendar where everyone can see it can be a good everyday visual reminder of upcoming projects.
Keep an old-school calendar tacked to a wall somewhere central such as the kitchen, recommends Dr. Quinn. Write all appointments on this calendar with a colored marker for everyone to see. This will have the added bonus of eliciting reminders from family members.
I Keep Multiples Of Some Items Such As Phone Chargers In Different Areas Of My Apartment
Sure, I could walk a few steps to grab my charger and use it elsewhere, but when I dont have usual spots for something I lose them easily and cant find them. By keeping my chargers in the same spot and just using different ones depending on where I am, Im never frantically running around for a charger with 3 percent battery.
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Adhd Organization Tips For Adults: Recap
So there you have it my favorite random ADHD organization hacks and tips for your distractible brain, helping with
- Memory and focus
- Home organization
- Task initiation
If you have additional strategies that youd love to share, please send them my way. You can connect with me on Instagram @imbusybeingawesome with all of your favorite tips and if I get enough of them, maybe we can do a part two later on.
Set Up Rules And Routines
Routines make life more predictable. From morning to after school to dinner routines to bedtime, schedules help provide consistency . Try to keep the time that your child wakes up in the morning, eats, and goes to bed each night fairly consistent from day to day. This is helpful advice for adults, too.
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Take Before Photos Of Your Mess
Individuals with ADHD have a hard time seeing how much progress they have made and estimating how long tasks will take. Even if youre embarrassed, take the photos! You dont have to show them to anyone. Once you begin to make progress, youll be glad to have a visual reminder of how far youve come.
Bedroom Organization For Adhd Adults
A while back I wrote a post where I was pretty honest about what my house looks like on a regular day. You know when nobody is coming over to visit.
Since that post I have gotten so many emails from women telling me how happy they were to see my honesty.
Every single woman who emailed me asked me for advice on organizing their own house.
This seems strange to me because obviously I am not a professional organizer. But, I want to accommodate because for better or worse, I am a people pleaser.
I have decided that the best kind of accountability is public accountability. So I am going to go through my house room-by-room and document my attempts to declutter and organize.
There is no normal, there is only progress.
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What Does This Have To Do With Adhd Organization
This appeals to two parts of our brains functionality:
Use The Pin Feature For Text Messages
One of my clients shared an awesome strategy that I think youre going to love.
One of the biggest gripes I have about text messages is that we dont have the option to mark a text message as unread.
I dont know about you, but there are times when I avoid reading a text message because I dont have time to answer it and I want to make sure that I have the little notification there to remind me to check it later.
At the same time, I want to read the message to make sure its not an emergency or they dont need an answer in that very moment.
Well, my client has this brilliant strategy, where she uses the pin feature for text messages, and she pins the individuals that she needs to respond to.
Seriously, this is a game-changer because this way anyone who is pinned at the top of your list has an unanswered text.
How To Pin a Persons Texts
On an iPhone all you have to do is open your messages, and youll see the list of people who have texted you.
If you want to pin a text from your sister so you remember to respond to her later that afternoon, all you have to do is
- Slide right on her name, and you will see a yellow pin option.
- Then you can pin it and her name will appear at the top of your different message chains.
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Use A Music App To Help You Focus
When Im feeling especially resistant to starting, thats when I love to reach for an app called brain.fm.
If this app is new to you, essentially, its a focus music app.
The designers use neuroscience and psychology to develop background music that stimulates your brain with these rhythmic pulses that support sustained attention.
As you might guess, most music is designed to grab your attention. Most artists and composers arent thinking, I want to make this music just boring enough that it blends into the background, right?
The music onbrain.fm is functional, and its designed to impact your brain and enhance your performance and focus.
Ive found it to be quite effective when I need to get into that flow state.
Key takeaway:
Designate Areas For Specific Items
You have likely heard the saying “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” Take this to heart. It helps keep your home organized and allows everyone to find what they need when they need it.
Each child should have a designated area for backpacks, shoes, coats, or toys. If the child plays sports, provide a defined place for equipment. If they are involved in ballet, the ballet bag has a home and the clean leotard, tights, and ballet slippers all stay in the bag. For parents, provide a drop zone for keys, purse or wallet, and glasses.
This strategy helps eliminate the rush out the door anxiety and stress that happens when family members cant find essential items.
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Set Up Visual Cues And Systems For Both Safety And Leisure
I always say, plan for bad brain days. Dont put together a system that only works when your brain is working really well, says McCabe.
A key to this is creating time-bound rituals and iterating your systems to fit how you really use the space. Dr. Bliss suggests creating a ritual of emptying bags and putting everything in a designated place as soon as you come home the phone in the charger, the keys on their hook, your coat on the hook.
When I mentioned to McCabe that I nearly burned down my apartment over-boiling some eggs while watching Sex and the City reruns and she suggested I train myself to turn on the light above my stove anytime Im cooking with gas. That way I can glance over and see the light is on and turn off my stove before its too late. She also programs her smart lights to dim at night as a cue to stop working and start getting ready for the evening.
Have you figured out ways to make your home more ADHD-friendly for you? Please share in the comments!
Sorting And Cleaning Out
In my mind bedroom organization involves two things: clothing, and everything else.
In Marie Kondos book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, she recommends piling every piece of clothing on the floor. I completely agree with this.
When piling your clothing I recommend only including tops/bottoms/dresses and actual clothing. The underwear/socks/loungewear/swim/gym clothing can be done separately.
There is no need to hold each piece and determine if it brings you joy. Not to knock Kon Mari, but this takes way too much time.
Create two piles: keeping and letting go. You can sort out what is being donated and what is being trashed later.
If you have not worn the item in over a year, or you simply no longer like it, throw it away or donate it.
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Calm Your Nerves Withthree Words
When confronted with a high-pressure situation, our natural response is fight-or-flight. But research at Harvard Business School suggests that if you utter three words, I am excited, your ability to thrive under pressure is enhanced. This mantra takes you out of a threat mindset and puts you into an opportunity mindset, improving your performance.
Have Clear House Rules
Make rules and expectations simple, concise and clear. Your children can also help develop the list of house rules. Make sure the rules are understood. Together, come up with specific consequences and be consistent in following through with consequences.
Try to approach situations calmly. Take a deep breath if you need to, or give yourself a brief time-out if you have to compose yourself and get control of your emotions. A calm approach is more effective and wont over-stimulate your child or escalate the situation.
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Focus On One Area Each Day
Breaking tasks down can help you accomplish them, and you can continue this pattern on a weekly basis.
Assigning tasks to a specific day can help you establish a routine and create organizational habits.
For example, Monday might be the day you fold laundry, and Tuesday might be the day you check your bank statements.
Write An Outline To Gather Ideas
Alternatively, if I feel a lot of resistance to writing my ideas, and if speaking them out loud to some dictation program is not flowing for me, I might instead turn to writing an outline.
Just as your English teacher made you do in high school, it can be super effective to write down the main concepts that you know you want to talk about, and then start writing supporting ideas underneath those main bullet points.
I know for myself, that this is a great strategy to get me started and get my ideas flowing.
Then when its time to write the actual content, whether its words for a podcast, content for a workbook Im creating, or whatever, Ive done so much of the leg work with the outline that writing the actual words is so much easier for the brain to get started.
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Do A Little Song And Dance
I am notorious for not remembering if Ive turned off my hair straightener or clothes iron. This often becomes a source of anxiety when Im out because Im worried something will burn if Ive left it on. Now, when Im turning it off, I consciously do a little dance and sing out loud what Im doing, because I find that it can help me remember better. I once read that singing things to yourself while studying or doing some kind of movement helps your memory.
Social Stories For Young Children
Social stories is another way to teach kids with ADHD to organize. Social stories are stories that explain social norms. Using social stories to share why it is important to keep your space organized will be beneficial for kiddos with ADHD because they can understand how others feel.
There are many resources on how to construct a social story. These stories have been researched to be written in a particular order and a particular way, so please take care while writing.
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The Alarm On Your Phone Can Be Your Best Friend
Smartphones today are so smart, that they can help you remember things. You can set a one-time alarm to remember to stop at the store on the way home, a weekly alarm to remember to take out the trash on Thursday nights, or a daily alarm to remember to get the mail every day. This is especially helpful for those tasks that need to get done, but that your ADHD brain may conveniently forget because you are not that enthused about doing them.
Put Your Laundry Away Right Out Of The Dryer
If youve been listening to this podcast for a minute, you know I have a lot of thoughts about laundry and more specifically,putting away laundry.
What Ive found to help me with this is hanging and folding the laundry immediately out of the dryer.
I bring down all of my hangers with my laundry to the basement where my laundry machines are and after I wash and dry the clothes, I immediately put them on hangers or fold them and put them in the laundry basket.
That way all thats left to do is bring them upstairs and hang them in the closet.
I realize this may seem obvious to most of you listeners, but I used to just throw my clean clothes into the laundry basket from the dryer all in one heap and then bring it upstairs and tell myself that I would hang them and put the things away once I got upstairs.
Inevitably something would distract me or I wouldnt feel like it and it would result in some very very wrinkly clothes and a long delay in putting them away
However, I bring down the hangers and I hang things as I pull them out of the dryer, it reduces some of that friction for me, and its been a more effective approach for my brain.
Because then when I bring stuff upstairs, I literally just have to hang them in my closet. Simple.
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