If your purse has become a chaotic carryall — a dark pit where things go to get lost — I share your plight. So do about a million other attention-deficit adults who lack the organization skills needed to get the job done.
The right-sized shoulder bag can bring order to your life. Consider these four ADHD-friendly tips when shopping for a new bag:
1. Don’t go too small.
Many women mistakenly think, “If I don’t have much room, I can’t carry too much around with me.” Good thinking, up to a point. If you don’t have room for all of your essentials, some items will wind up in your pants pocket — and you’ll lose them.
2. Don’t go too large.
Too many items (old trick-or-treat candy or broken glasses) in a large bag make it tough to find essentials.
3. Don’t go with too many pockets.
I made this mistake once. “Just look at those pockets!” I thought. “I can use one for my cell phone, one for keys....” The problem? I didn’t know which items were in which pockets, and I had to hunt for what I was looking for.
4. Go with one that is “just right.”
Look for a purse with a cell phone pocket and a handy place to store or attach your keys. It should comfortably accommodate your wallet, make-up bag, and one or two other essential items. That’s it. A shoulder strap is good, to free your hands for important things, like steering your child through the toy aisle.
This article comes from the Summer 2009 issue of ADDitude.
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