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ADHD Clutter Cure

Q:

"When I'm involved in a project, it works for me to keep everything spread out. My husband dislikes the clutter, but when he moves my things into a neat pile, it takes me so long to find everything again. Can you suggest a compromise?"

ADHD expert Sandy Maynard helps your ADHD child learn basic skills sandymaynard.com Sandy Maynard
A:

Tailor this sewing example to any project: While working, spread everything out and do your thing. But when you're done for the day, sort and store your needles, buttons, and thread in a see-through container. This way, you'll be able to find whatever you need when you resume your work. Set aside an area, in a spare room or a corner of the den, to keep your project containers.

It is crucial to allow yourself enough time to put everything back in its assigned box, bag, or container. With ADHD, it's common to hyperfocus and forget the time when we're enjoying ourselves. You may be working merrily away when you suddenly realize it's time to pick up the kids. Set a kitchen timer to go off beforeyou have to stop working, leaving yourself enough time to put all of your things away.

You may also want to designate a "junk drawer" in each room. If your husband encounters clutter, he should be allowed either to move it back to your area or put it in the junk drawer. With only one such drawer per room, you will know exactly where to look for things that you didn't put away. Note: If the junk drawer in every room is overflowing, take a good, hard look at the kind of stuff that is being collected and saved.

A pioneer in the field of coaching people with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Ms. Maynard was instrumental in the development of The National Attention Deficit Disorder Association's Coaching Guidelines and a founding board member for the Institute for the Advancement of AD/HD Coaching (IAAC). She is a certified Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and utilizes a holistic health and wellness approach with her clients. Ms. Maynard lives in Washington, DC where she operates Catalytic Coaching. Sandy lectures internationally and is a regular contributor to ADDitude magazine.

2 Comments:

  • Posted by kdog - Nov 7 2009 @ 5:27 PM
    clutter
    It sounds like you might need a space designed for the way you work. My high-energy ADHD, anxiety and mild obsessive-compulsive behavior makes me a big organizer and cleaner too. But I also like to spread out. If I have clear plastic tubs, clean counter-top space, and lighting I can work anywhere. I've installed counter top in my office and my basement at both sitting and standing heights.
  • Posted by jeanne - Mar 28 2009 @ 8:10 AM
    Clutter
    My husband has ADHA and can't stand clutter. He can clean better than anyone I know. This causes problems because cleaning at his level is not high on my list. It has caused major problems. He claims he can be happier if I would clean more?
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