How to Organize for the ADHD Mind
If you are someone who has ADHD (Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), you probably know that the standard approach to organization just doesn’t work. Minima has spent years working with clients who have ADHD and we’ve taken several courses on the subject to better educate ourselves and serve these clients. In this post, we will share some of what we’ve learned. If you’d like our help, please get in touch! Many of these techniques can also be helpful to those who do not have ADHD.
“My creative life is so much better. I’m able to work in my studio on multiple projects at a time, which is perfect for my brain chemistry having ADD. Coming to work is heaven—I can find everything and it’s easy to maintain because things are so logically organized. Hiring a professional really made a difference.”
— Heilbron Rushing-Cooper, Art 180 / Richmond, VA
Be kind to yourself
ADHD is an executive functioning disorder. A non-ADHD brain is able to look at multiple tasks or things and prioritize. An ADHD brain sees everything with equal importance/priority, which can be overwhelming. People with ADHD are not always disorganized; sometimes they have very rigid structures/organization in place to compensate. If you have ADHD, you will most likely lose/misplace things, you will most likely backslide, and that’s all okay. Be kind to yourself, you’re doing your best. I hope some of these strategies will make life a little easier.
Many of our clients were diagnosed as adults and grew up with low self esteem, not understanding why they weren’t able to function like everyone else. Often those self esteem issues continue even after an ADHD diagnosis. It’s important to celebrate small wins. We will often start a session by asking, “What are we celebrating today, what’s going well?” We may also encourage “clearing”, which is giving our client a chance to do a brain dump before getting started with the work and acknowledging how they are feeling.
Use time blocking
We often need to budget extra time for our clients with ADHD, but everyone is different. Decisions tend to take a little longer, and there are often more stories about the items we’re reviewing. It’s easy for the ADHD mind to see something, have a memory triggered, and want to share the history. We want to balance the emotional nature of organizing with staying on task and getting the job done. We are upfront with our clients who have ADHD. For example, we may say something like, “This process could take as long as x amount of sessions, but we could possibly get it done sooner. That all depends on how focused we stay while we’re together. Do I have your permission to use a little code word when we get off track a little bit, so that we can get done sooner? If you’re okay with going longer, then that’s okay.”
It’s important to break projects down into smaller chunks. We will often set a timer for small increments, anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes, and suggest the client only focus on one task for that entire span of time—no interruptions or distractions. Then we will take a five to ten minute pause in between these blocks to breathe. Bouncing between two important tasks each time block can prevent boredom and allow intentional distraction. We used these techniques to help a retired professor with ADHD go through piles of paperwork to publish an important research report he hadn’t previously been able to complete.
Use a body double
A body double means having someone sit or stand with you while you do something. The body double only needs to be present and hold space for the activity. This has an amazing grounding effect for our clients with ADHD. We have sometimes thought, “Is this productive? Maybe I should go over to this area and start sorting.” When we leave the body double position, we find the client with ADHD who was previously focused has gotten off track. It’s simple yet effective. Physical activity while organizing can also help with focus, such as bouncing a basketball while studying.
Keep things visible & simple
To the ADHD mind, if you can’t see it, it doesn’t exist. This is why you will often see surfaces covered in things; items are left out for fear of losing them. Open storage, clear containers, and labels are essential for successful ADHD organization. Simplicity is even more valuable to someone with ADHD. Because the ADHD brain sees everything with equal weight, having less stimulus is ideal. There are less items to sort through, less distractions, and more calm. Your attention will function better.
Tap into your motivation & interests
Sometimes our ADHD clients will need to change up a system out of boredom. This is fine—there are endless “right” ways to organize something. Our clients with ADHD function best if they are genuinely motivated/interested. We like to find out what interests you and harness that in our work together. I once had a client with ADHD tell me he loved games. To get him motivated, I made up “decluttering games” and special challenges when he and I worked together. If you can incorporate a sense of urgency, even better. For instance, “Can you identify five items to donate in the next five minutes?” Each client is unique, so finding the right recipe can take a few tries. We’re not usually too serious and strict—laughing and having fun with the work can be essential to stay on track.
Plan on routine maintenance
We have found most of our clients with ADHD benefit from routine maintenance sessions with our organizers. This can be once per week, once per month, once per quarter—whatever is needed. Once we get to know your space, a maintenance refresh is often much easier than the initial project.
If you’re ready to work with us, please get in touch! We’d love to help.
“I can’t put to words how thankful I am for the help Minima has rendered. I found it amazing that Kristen took all of my wants, wishes and long term goals, gift wrapped them, and handed them back to me. She always respects my wishes and intuitively seems to know what does and does not work for someone with ADD.”
— Mike T. / Chester, VA